AMERICAN -HONDURAS 
CO. 

HONDURAS 


BANCROFT 
LIBRARY 


University  of  Calif ornia  •  Berkeley 


•HONDURAS 


HONDURAS 


AND 


[HE  PERRY  LAND  GRANT: 


A  NEW  FIELD 


FOR   THE 


FARMER,  STOCKMAN,  LUMBERMAN 

AND   LABORER. 


CHICAGO:  x 


THE  AMERICAN  HONDURAS  Co.     UL- 

1888. 


urn  i. -i  EI 

DONOIII  i.  A  HI.NM:I;I.I;I;\  . 

<  Mi<   kGO, 


T 


INDEX, 


Area  of  the  Perry  grant,  ....          5 

BANANAS,  cost  and  yield  of  plantations,       .  .  .  22,  27 

Fields  of  wild,  .  .  .  .  .         21,  25,  29 

Xutritive  value  of  .....  26 

Cabinet  and  other  woods,     .  ...        12,  13,  17,  18,  42 

Cacao,  28,  42 

CATTLE,  advantages  for  raising,  ...  .31 

Cost  of  growing  beeves,        .....  7 

Markets  for  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  7 

Values  of  .......  32 

CLIMATE  OF  HONDURAS,  healthfulness,  .  .  .7,8 

Rainfall,  ....  9 

Temperature,  .  .  8 

For  pleasure  seekers  and  invalids,      .  11 

Cocoanuts,  value  of  ....  6 

Constitution  of  Honduras,        .  .  48 

Contracts  with  foreigners,  ......         50 

Cotton,         .  30,  42 

Crops  grown  in  Honduras,  .  11,  13,  26,  37 

EXPLORATIONS,  official  report  of  ]2 

Taylor's  report  of  .....          14 

Fibers,  useful        .......  3[ 

Fish  and  game,  ......  11,  13 

Fruits  and  fruit  growing,  .  11,  22,  27,  28,  38 

Fruit  trade,  growth  of  .  .  .26 

Gold  deposits,        .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        30,  46 

Government  and  its  policy,  the     ......          48 

Health  fulness  of  Honduras,      .  .  .  .  .  .  7,  8 

Horses,  cost  and  profit  of  raising,  .  34 

Indians,        .  .  .         42,  47 

India  rubber,  .......  30,  42 

Indigenous  fruits,  .....  29,  38,  42 

Labor  and  laborers,  .  .  .  .  .  .         '  .         47 

LAGOONS,  Cape  River,     ......  38 

La  Criba,  .......         38 

Ebon,     .....  40 

Br«s,  ....  40,  42 

Tilbalacca,        .......  43 

Caratasca,  ...  .  44 


l.\/> 

I. mi. 
' 

(S6 

,  i  - 1 1 1  _• . 
.  inhiii.l. 
„'«•*.  <Mlltlir< 

. 
I'ustiinurc. 

-.  i-usl  :nnl  profits  Of 

' 
Plain  itnnos,    .  .  .  L'ii 

'M.I.  .  |- 

I'uMi.-  (>|>iiii<>ii.  .... 

- 

Ui-lM-ll  .  .  .-,1 

. 

:>.- 

I'lantjini. 

'I'.'lll  '       .Mill.  .  41 

II 

Rotuls,  pulilit  ,  .  li. 

irillii. 

HP  .  •;.  n. 

!.|\...  I  all 

H..I--M-S. 
Bwin 

. 
•  nv. 

H 
31 

'l.i. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


Thousands  of  temperate,  frugal,  law-abiding  people,  skilled  in  the 
arts  needed  for  the  development  of  a  country,  have  found,  after  years  of 
exhausting  toil  and  exposure  to  the  sudden  and  extreme  changes  of  an 
inclement  climate,  that  they  can  at  the  best  get  but  a  bare  subsistence 
in  the  North.  Farmers  see  the  interest  of  the  mortgages  on  their  farms 
increasing  rapidly,  to  in  time  drive  them  from  their  homes  despite  their 
most  earnest  efforts.  Those  who  have  courage  to  calmly  consider  their 
situation  see  that  their  future  offers  little  or  no  hope.  Competition  from 
the  virgin  fields  of  the  West  is  too  keen.  Steam  has  made  the  farmer 
of  the  deep,  rich  land  of  Dakota  and  Kansas  close  neighbor  of  the 
man  who  grinds  his  life  away  on  the  barren  soil  of  the  East.  Each 
short  summer  spent  in  the  attempt  to  raise  enough  to  support  the  fam- 
ily through  the  long,  stormy,  and  cold  winter  only  adds  to  the  burden 
the  hopeless  strugg'e  has  brought. 

To  such  people,  tired  of  pinching  along  year  after  year  in  dreary  al- 
though respectable  poverty,  these  pages  will  be  of  interest,  for  they 
offer  sure,  safe,  and  speedy  relief.  They  will  be  of  value  to  young  men 
who  have  wisdom  to  carefully  look  ahead,  intelligence  to  see  that  life  in 
the  old  and  crowded  fields  affords  little  encouragement  to  legitimate  ef- 
fort, and  courage  and  enterprise  to  seek  new  fields  where  competition  is 
not  sharp,  and  whe~e  by  a  little  toil  and  forethought  they  can  quickly 
secure  all  the  comforts  and  most  of  the  luxuries  of  civilized  life.  To 
all  such  homes  are  offered  in  a  country  with'n  easy  reach,  where  the  cli- 
mate is  more  temperate  and  pleasanter  than  in  the  most  favored  spot  in 
the  United  States,  and  where  there  is  freedom  from  many  if  not  from 
all  of  the  diseases  most  dangerous  to  human  comfort  and  life.  There 
the  days  are  not  hot,  dry,  and  dusty,  and  the  nights  cold;  the  summers 
are  not  blistering  in  their  droughts  and  the  winters  terrible  in  their 
blizzards;  but  the  temperature  ranges  from  sixty  to  ninety  degrees  .F 
throughout  the  entire  year.  Nearly  everything  that  can  be  grown  in 
the  United  States  can  be  more  easily  and  cheaply  raised  there,  and  many 
valuable  crops  can  be  produced  there  which  can  not  be  profitably  cul- 
tivated where  frosts  are  known. 

Most  of  the  testimony  given  in  the  following  pages  has  been  gath- 
ered from  witnesses  who  could  have  had  no  object  in  favoring,  since 
they  certainly  could  have  had  no  knowledge  of  our  purposes.  Much  of 
this  evidence  was  given  thirty  years  ago.  Several  of  the  witnesses  were 


/  \  r 


whose  standing1  was  sufflricnt  jnianint\  that  their  statements 

:    Mil    .>t    thr    witlii-**-* 

suspicion.    Most  of  assertions  mu«)«   i  >  th.  m  an-i  i«-|.r...hn  .  -: 
been  vt-ri'i--  1  \>\  reotol 

n  truth  i  illness  of  any  ot  th 
•    n.limwComiwiny  buh-slrous  of  in.  In. 
to  an.  i  develope  th.- 

.n  UI..M-  »H 

to  sell  lands  to  imlivKliml-  nists  in  numlM-rn.    Ti.  tin-  lntt«-r 

especial  indutvnienU*  will  i  . 

*-stion8  addressexl  t<.  th.  •  <  •..mi-any  will  rei*ive  prompt  answ. 
TMI.  AMKKK   A  N    II*  .\  I  M    l(  AS  CO., 

Cnic\i....  hi-.,  r. 


THE  PERRY  GRANT, 


For  the  purpose  of  encouraging  immigration,  and  through 
that  bringing  about  the  development  of  the  great  natural 
resources  of  Honduras,  the  government  of  that  republic  has  sold 
to  the  AMERICAN  HONDURAS  COMPANY  a  grant  of  land  consisting 
of  each  alternate  tract  or  section  of  land  one  ruyriamete"  or 
6fVffViF  English  miles  square,  within  the  following  boundaries,  viz. : 
Beginning  at  a  point  in  the  middle  of  the  deepest  part  of  the 
channel  connecting  Caratasca  lagoon  with  the  Caribbean  sea,  and 
extending  thence  in  a  northwesterly  and  a  westerly  direction 
along  the  coast  of  said  sea  to  the  eighty-fifth  (85°)  degree  of  longi- 
tude west  from  Greenwich  ;  thence  southward  along  the  line  of 
said  eighty-fifth  (85°)  degree  to  the  place  of  its  intersection  or 
crossing  of  the  fifteenth  (15°)  degree  of  latitude  north  from  the 
equator ;  thence  eastward  along  the  line  of  said  fifteenth  (15°) 
degree  of  latitude  to  the  middle  of  the  channel  or  bed  of  the  river 
Guaranta  ;  thence  along  the  middle  of  the  channel  of  said  river 
and  of  any  lagoon  or  lagoons,  bay  or  estuaries  to  the  place  where 
the  waters  of  said  river  Guaranta  join  those  of  Caratasca  lagoon  ; 
and  thence  along  the  middle  of  the  deepest  channel  in  said  Cara 
tasca  lagoon  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

The  northwestern  corner  of  this  grant  is  1,800  miles  south  of 
Chicago,  in  longitude  8  west  from  Washington,  and  about  975 
miles  south  by  east  from  New  Orleans.  The  Gulf  stream  touches 
the  grant  and  thence  flows  westward  and  northward,  huriying 
vessels  on  their  way  from  Central  America  to  the  markets  of 
our  Atlantic  seaboard  and  of  Europe.  Vessels  can  have  the  help 
of  this  ocean  current  most  of  the  way  from  Honduras  to  Europe, 
and  back  again  through  peaceful  seas.  Steamers  make  the  run 
to  New  Orleans  or  to  Mobile  in  three  to  four  days,  and  to  New 
York  in  seven  or  eight  days. 

The  grant  extends  from  the  Caribbean  sea  southward  nearly 
5 


t:  H02U)l  : 

seventy  miles,  and  from   the  Mlh  to  tin 

•  nwirh.      A*-    a    \\holr    it    fojin*    a    plain    ill 
j    fr«.ni  the  tide    w:iter   up  to  the  low   hills    of  tin 

line  of  the   irninl.      Alon. 
land  is  sandy   loam.  UIIMII  P:I*M  d   ! 

of  tli<  ill-    flom   i. lie  l.i  t(  Ii 

..-li   like  tl 

with 

otln-r  hy  n:i\ii:ahle  channels,  and  all  <>f  thru 

d   l>\    ilL'. 

id.      Ar«'iind   the    I  «-.>., iiv   :,rr   lai^'  \  iuin 

liall.-lllHS.  phll:  •<  ailfrilil.  BWCCl 

\ainpa-.    ;> 

1  this  alluvial  belt  are  |»rairiev\\  hieh   atlmd   alum 
dan!  |i:i-tur.t'j«-  ..n  \\hirl  ain  fat  throughout    lln-   . 

ries.     Along  the  atreanu  and  on  the  hills  valuable  caiiim-i  9 
d  medicinal  plants  are  dispersed  through  tvi 

:  atural    jtrodu<-tions  (.f   tin-    i  many  ami   of 

liniiinir  reaily  market  in  the  I  Hit.  d   >• 
\\ell  a- in   the  i. 

it  ami  othrr  |»alm-  thrive  all  I  und 

I .  ••  li   rocoanut  tree  hears   fiom    -i\t\   to  three  Imn 
dred  •  Lhfl  cnip   !  i  ing  uorih  IK. in  fdn 

•id  plantain*  yield  a 

i-.    till'     illloinr     th<    !  (I     ;,|l 

.-ilium.      I'ineni  .     jnotiis    fully  coual    to 

nii-ii! 

'    • 

Ml     to     l|,..i|-al  d     :,:!.. Li 

.rany  and  otixr  raloabto  woods  caa  lie  put  ai...:,id  rd 

1 
cout. 


HONDURAS.  7 

ports  need  be  no  more  than  freights  on  lumber  from  Michigan  or 
Wisconsin  to  those  markets. 

Cattle  and  horses  can  be  raised  at  an  annual  cost  of  thirty 
cents  per  head,  including  interest  on  purchase  price.  No  disease 
prevails  among  them.  Beeves  grown  on  this  grant  can  be  sold 
when  two  years  old  or  older,  in  Europe,  for  $  10  to  $15  more  per 
head  than  animals  of  like  weight  and  Duality  from  the  United 
States  will  bring  in  those  markets  at  the  same  time,  because  cat- 
tle from  the  States  must  be  slaughtered  on  the  docks  where 
unloaded,  while  those  from  countries  free  from  pleuro-pneumonia 
may  be  taken  into  the  pastures  or  the  stalls  for  grazing  and  fat- 
tening. There  is  a  strong  demand  in  Europe  for  such  stock . 

In  healthfulness  the  north  coast  of  Honduras  compares  well 
with  the  most  favored  States  of  the  Union.  The  pure  sea  air 
blowing  almost  constantly  from  the  ocean  acts  as  a  bracing  tonic, 
while  freedom  from  swamps  prevents  the  general  prevalence  of 
malarial  disorders. 


CLIM  A  1  i;  SOIL  AND  PRODUCT  I  < 


CLI.M 

!imate    of   Hi>n<lur:is  is    roinparaiivrh  :    m, .re 

'••It-  than  thai  of  any  region   in   the   I'ni:. 

r   part   (»f  the     \t  ;il    the   lio|l  h«  ;, 

their  passage  across  the   Atlantic  oeean  and  tin-  ( 'aiil.l.c.-r 
blow  over  the  land,  reducing  the  temperature  In  -low  that  <»!' 
mer  in  eountrie-  lyini:  tarther  north.       The  me.-m   teni|M  i 
throughout   tlie  year  for  the  \\hole  of   Honduras    has   for 
been  al»"Ui  ',  [     !•'.       The  extreme  r;mi.'e  lias  IM  .  n   from   !•'•    !•'.  in 

:ka!'l\ '  ci.hl   \\iliters|ujt7     F.    in  e\ee|tlioliallv   hot  Mill   • 
Observali  -ln.\\    that   at    the    innuih 

river,  the  extreme  raiii:e  <luring  a  year  \MI>  from  r.'J    to  sc,    , 
variation'  n-  a  mean  ol  ;  I     !•'.       At  ( 'aratasra   the  hot 

test  four  months  ot  iio\\.d  a  mean  tem: 

with  a  range  reaching  from  7s    to  !M   .       At   Truxillo  the 
during  the  same  months  \\y^   ;>    I-'.      This  \va--  much  lower  than 
the  mean  temperature  of  the  Dimmer  month-  in  Slates  lyin. 
of  tli'  j'pi.  and    \ei\    far  helou    that   of    the   aiid^. 

States  and  Territories,  where  MM,  k  LTOW  inir  ha-  l'«-rn  ' 
profitable  business.      At    l<;  In   Montai 

rose  to  185    in  the  Dimmer  of  1887  and  in  h 

ifter  sank  to  i;-,    l.elow  /.<TO.  a  with 

an  extreme  range  of  ">1    in  the  course  of  years  in  Iloiidiin-      In 

the  n  thfl    llei'iihlie  i  he  air  i-  |.eeiiliail\   , 

mad<     |>lea-anl    \,\   hn-f/.i- 
steadily  across  the  mountain*,  th< 
heavy  woolen  lilanket-  a 
likelihood  of  n  losing  v  I  may 

h  l\e 

III    VI    I  II' 

ID  healthfulneas  as  in  <  t  hi  astern  coast  of  ]|.,n 

8 


HONDURAS  9 

duras  excels  even  the  most  favored  States  of  the  Union.  Pure 
sea  breezes,  blowing  almost  constantly  over  hundreds  of  miles  of 
ocean,  act  as  a  bracing  tonic.  There  are  no  swamps  to  breed 
malarial  disorders,  the  little  disease  of  that  nature  being  a  mild 
type  of  ague  which  attacks  some  of  the  people  who  dwell  on  the 
rich  alluviums,  and  neglect  all  sanitary  measures. 

The  country  is  absolutely  free  from  many  diseases  common  in 
other  lands.  Scarlet  fever,  diphtheria,  whooping  cough,  croup, 
etc.,  are  unheard  of,  and  yellow  fever  has  never  been  known 
there.  Tuberculosis  is  practically  unknown.  There  is  some 
catarrh,  probably  due  to  the  want,  among  the  masses,  of  com- 
fortable dwellings  and  fires  for  warming  and  drying  them  in  the 
wet  seasons.  But  although  living,  as  many  do,  in  utter  ignorance 
of  proper  sanitary  means,  and  without  even  the  most  common 
comforts,  they  are  less  subject  to  disease  than  are  the  people  of 
the  oldest  States  of  the  Union. 

Under  date  of  May  28,  1888,  Senor  Don  Dion  Galindo,  col- 
lector of  customs  for  the  district  of  Trujillo,  including  the  De 
partment  of  Colon,  certified  that: 

In  this  port,  and  also  on  the  coast  of  this  Department,  we  have  not 
had  and  have  not  now  any  infectious  or  contagious  sickness.  When  we 
learn  of  any  such  disease  in  Belize,  or  in  Livingston,  quarantine  is  estab- 
lished in  this  place.  This  has  kept  the  people  of  Trujillo  in  a  state  of 
perfect  health. 

T.  A.  Matute,  M.D.,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  New 
York,  registered  physician  and  surgeon  of  the  University  of  Hon- 
duras, and  army  surgeon  at  Trujillo  until  he  recently  resigned 
to  go  into  business  for  himself,  certifies  as  follows: 

There  has  not  been  during  my  six  years'  experience  on  this  coast,  or 
in  any  previous  years,  any  disease  of  infectious  or  epidemic  character. 
There  has  never  been  known  on  all  this  coast,  from  Trujillo  to  Puerto 
Cortez,  any  case  of  yellow  fever  or  any  other  epidemic  disease,  and  at 
present  there  is  not  the  slightest  reason  to  fear  any  infectious  diseases. 

RAINFALL. 

Variations  in  the  configuration  of  the  surface  of  Honduras 
make  corresponding  differences  in  the  seasons  and  rainfall  in 


10  //'>MH'RA8. 

different  parU  of  the  country.     <>n  this  si.  «;.   Squier, 

ed- AtTairc*of  the  United  si. 

and  author  of  a  work  which  t<>  this  day  stands  the  best  nut. 
on  natural  conditions  of  Honduras,  wrote  :  "The  whole  o: 
tral  America  comes  within  th.  /one  of  the  n< 

which    iweeptaf  aCHMi  the  Atlantic    reach    th«    continent  almost 
saturated  with  vapor.     The   portion  ol  of  whicl. 

are  deprived  1>\  th.   •  :.  islands  is  prol«al>h  nearly,  if  not 

quite,  made  up  in  their  pa-ssa.L'e  over  the  sea  of  the  same    name. 
These  winds  are  intercepted  1>\  the  hiiih  inouniai! 
continent,  and   the  vapor  precipitated    from  them  flow!  down  to 
the  Atlantic  through  a  multitude  of  streams  and  r  ran        A 
he  says:     "For  about   four  month*  <«f   the  \ear.   lr"m  ^ 
October,  the   trade-  hein.ir  intermittent,  the    Pacific  .:• 
subject  to  winds  from  the  west  and  the  southwest  which  ]  i 
tate  their  waters  a trainst  the  western  slopes  of  the  mountain  - 
constitute  the  rainy  season.     AJ  these  Pacific  wind*  are  seldom 
more  than  ezai:  i  breezes,  and  are  rarely  of  more  than  a 

few  hours'  continuance,  the  rain*  which  follow   then: 
occurring  generally  in   the  afternoon  and  night.     It 
witness  an   entile   day   of   rain,  although  tl  nally 

meteoric   «  "iis  wliich  produce  what  the  S  call 

rales,  or  rain  of   se\  •  continua1 

'•rdsof  the  rainfall  \\  that  the  average 

annual  amount  is  ahout  f<.i  i\ -ci-lit  im -h»  -.  or  the  same  as  that 

•itral  KennicUy  and  of  I-v  .  little  less  tluin  that 

\vOrleaDs  llunt-vi! 

ington.  Ark,    1  Tonson,  Ind 

v,  Cal.    and    in  |    place-  in  the  I'liitid    States.        In 

•Hietfavorf  ::iL-e  annual  rainfall 

is  about  the  same  as  in  Honduras  \\  hil.- I;,IL,  ihi-«un- 

a  ve  lets. 
hi  the  region  when  the  I'<  rry  grant  is  situated  the  rainfall  is 

i  over  a  large  part  of  tin 
ber  showers  frequently  fall,  usually  passing  <{ui< ) 


HONDURAS.  11 

sky  sunny  and  the  ground  watered  just  enough  to  force  a  luxu- 
riant growth  of  crops.  In  Sept  ember  and  October  heavier  rains 
fall,  but  even  then  work  can  be  carried  on  with  little  or  no  more 
interruption  than  usually  occurs  in  the  Northern  States  in  Octo- 
ber and  November.  In  what  is  called  the  wet  season  there  are 
often  days  and  sometimes  even  weeks  when  no  rain  falls.  As  a 
whole  the  worst  of  the  rainy  season  resembles  late  autumn  weather 
in  the  northeastern  States,  except  that  in  Mosquitia  the  tempera- 
ture never  sinks  as  low  as  it  does  in  the  fall  in  those  States.  The 
dry  season  is  almost  perfect,  every  day  being  clear,  bright,  breezy 
and  even  in  temperature.  As  a  winter  resort  for  invalids  and 
pleasure  seekers  this  coast  is  unequalled  by  the  best  resort  known 
in  the  United  States,  so  far  as  natural  advantages  are  concerned; 
and  as  a  summer  resort  for  those  who  en  joy  sea  baths,  safe  yacht- 
ing, steady,  regular  and  cooling  breezes,  fresh  fish,  terrapin, 
green  and  other  turtle  steaks,  and  eggs,  a  profusion  of  tropical 
fruits  and  flowers,  or  deer,  boar,  jaguar,  andante  and  manatee 
hunting,  this  grant  can  not  be  surpassed  by  any  place  within 
easy  disance  from  the  great  cities  of  the  United  States. 

SOIL. 

While  the  soil  of  this  grant  is  varied  in  character  there  is  little 
if  any  of  it  that  can  not  be  cultivated  much  more  profitably  than 
any  considerable  number  of  farms  in  the  United  States  are 
worked.  Along  the  ocean  is  a  strip  of  sandy  land  from  one  to 
ten  miles  wide.  On  this  cocoanuts,  oranges,  mangoes,  papayas, 
bread  fruit,  limes  and  lemons,  corn,  cane,  rice,  yams,  sweet  pota- 
toes, arrowroot,  and  a  great  variety  of  other  fruits  and  vegetables 
yield  abundantly.  There  are  on  the  grant  fully  120  square  miles 
of  such  land,  every  acre  of  which  can  be  made,  by  a  minimum 
of  labor,  to  give  an  average  yearly  profit  of  $50  to  $200,  by 
planting  to  cocoanuts  alone.  » 

Around  the  lagoons  on  this  grant  is  an  area  of  land  of  moder- 
ate size  which  is  admirably  suited  for  growing  rice,  sugarcane, 
bananas,  plantains,  roots  and  vegetables  of  many  kinds,  cotton, 
breadfruit,  and  cocoanuts.  At  the  water's  edge  these  lands  are 


often  no  more  Ih an  12  to  20  inches  above   high  tide,  from  \\hich 
height  they  gradually  slope  upward  until  the  print  IH  .1. 

The  soil  is  exceedingly  rich  roiiHMin::  of  silt  brought  <: 
the  mountains  and  distributed  by  the  river*.      I'  Main 

that  the  grant  contains  land  which  will  yield  more  sure,  aliund.-int 
and  profitable  crops  than  can  be  grown  >w  gnnm 

h  alluvial  tracts  on  \\hich  valuable 

woods  and  medicinal  plant*  al»»und.     Here  plantations  of  fi 
yield  for  years  in  succession,  with    no  other  ait<  ntinn  il 
red  for  gathering  so  much   of  their  products  as  msi 
needed  forborne  use  !  of  the  forests  which  n< 

A  ill  support  a  large  population   ii. 
luxury. 

these  valleys  are  high  and  irently  undulating  pr:. 
or  savannas  covered  by  grasses  afford  in  i.r  pa-turage  on  which 
stock  keep  in  good  condition  at  all  times  of  the  year.     1 

•  1  of  tin-  dry  -(  a<on,  when  the  forage  might 
have  little  nutriment,  dams  suckling  their  joung  continu- 
Closely  and  < '"ill inu"ii<]y  gra/.ed  these  plant*-  ui\e  \\ay  to^ramina 
and  other  grasse*  of  superior  (piality  .     The  M>il  ot  tin 
is  vegetable  mold,  sand  and  (lay  mixed  \\ith  giavel.  .,; 
on  a  gra%relly  subsoil.     Pine  groves  appear  at  thort   di-:. 
from  ea.-h  other  on  U  nnas. 

On  the  west  and  in  the  vnUtl:<  rn  part  of  theirrant  a: 
tinibori'd  hills.     <  >n  thoe  ihe  soil  is  generally  loam  and  ve^. 
mold.    The  great  size  of  the  mahogany,  sapadillo  und 
liquid  amber,  locust  and  other  trees  of  great  va!  mple 

•M-e  of  the  richness  of 

A  few  yean  ago  an  - -xploration  of  Mo-quiiia  \\as  made  at   the 
instance  of 
lation  of  that  pnrt  of  the  omViai  report   n  l.v  on  of 

The  character,  or  physical  appearance,  of  this  pu  i 
mUwraioootooous,M  It  varies  butltttle,  being  im-x.-iy  .-\teii-i\e  plain-.. 


HONDURAS.  13 

extending  from  the  Rio  Sico,  past  the  mines  of  El  Dorado  and  Rio  Tinto 
[Black  or  Negro  River]  to  Rio  Paz  toward  the  south,  over  an  amorphous 
formation.  On  the  borders  of  the  Paz  old  and  splendid  cedars  and  ma- 
hogany trees  are  found,  as  well  as  an  extensive  growth  of  fibrous  plants. 
The  condition  of  these  lands  is  excellent  for  agriculture. 

Paon  [Black]  and  Platano  rivers  flow  through  the  mountain  systems 
bearing  their  names.  Almost  all  over  the  Mosquitia  region,  and  espe- 
cially descending  from  the  south  to  the  sea,  hills  and  mountains  disap- 
pear and  boundless  savannas  spread  on  all  sides,  except  where  inter- 
rupted by  river  valleys.  These  are  full  of  trees,  including  cedar, 
and  mahogany.  The  ridges  of  the  savannas  do  not  rise  more  than  two 
metres  from  the  lower  soil  or  general  level. 

The  savannas  are  generally  dry,  but  as  one  approaches  the  coast  there 
are  swamps.  In  the  rainy  season  these  sometimes  become  impassable  ; 
but  this  happens  only  on  lands  very  close  to  the  coast,  and  at  those 
times  during  the  rainy  season  when  the  rivers  overflow  low  lands. 
These  facts  lead  to  the  belief  that  all  of  the  waters  near  the  coast,  from 
Rio  Sico  eastward,  could  be  made  continuously  navigable,  it  being  very 
easy  to  connect  the  rivers  with  each  other  by  opening  small  ditches  or 
canals. 

Between  the  Rios  Patuca  and  Ulan  the  land  is  all  level  and  sandy, 
but  in  the  tracts  near  the  rivers  excellent  and  fruitful  land  is  found. 
Tobacco,  rice,  beans,  corn,  coffee,  cacao,  or  anything  planted  grow 
beautifully. 

In  the  district  of  Patuca  is  found  the  most  beautiful  and  picturesque 
part  of  Mosquitia  There  are  extensive  pampas  or  plains  and  spacious 
lowlands.  In  the  streams  fish  are  abundant.  The  pasturage  of  these 
lands  could  maintain  over  100,000  cattle.  There  are  here  ocotals,  or 
groups  of  pine  trees,  some  of  the  groups  being  fifteen  to  twenty  miles 
wide.  Similar  ocotals  are  found  at  Caratasca.  Toward  the  south  of  this 
district,  and  in  the  center  of  it,  one  may  travel  five  days  across  savannas 
and  pampas  abundantly  provided  with  pure  water.  Deer,  wild  pigs, 
jaquillas,  apes,  turkeys,  pajuils,  and  a  great  variety  of  waterfowl  are 
very  tame  here.  On  the  margins  of  the  rivers  precious  woods  are  very 
abundant,  such  as  mahogany,  cedar,  granadillo,  ronron,  and  santa  maria, 
and  medicinal  plants,  as  sarsaparilla,  ipecacuana,  etc.,  with  India-rubber 
and  numberless  other  useful  woods. 

Rio  Patuca  has  an  average  depth  of  five  to  seven  feet  on  its  bar. 
From  a  short  distance  from  the  sea  to  the  place  where,  twenty-four 
miles  up  the  stream,  it  divides  to  send  part  of  its  water  to  Brus  lagoon, 
it  is  from  three  to  five  varas  [8*4  to  14  feet]  deep.  From  this  place,  fol- 
lowing its  course  until  it  joins  the  Guayambre,  in  the  Department  of 
Olancho,  there  is  always,  in  the  rainy  season,  from  two  to  five  feet  of 
water.  From  the  bar  of  the  Patuca  to  the  mouth  of  the  Guampu  naviga- 
tion is  possible. 


14  //<>.\/>i 

In  April  and  May  last,  Mr  .lames  P.  Taylor  inad<-  an  e.\:u 
at  ion  of  the  Perry  -rant.       lit-  was  «-mpl«>\«i  i..<ln   thi>   i: 
interest  of  a  capitalist  rc-idim:  in  Tegucigalpa,  tl  f  the 

Republic.      Mr.  Taylor's  letters  to  hi-  •  mpl 
of  Truxillo.  May  1/1888: 

I  reached  hen.'  lost  evening   fnun  Hrns   lagoon,  ami  it-  th<--t« 
goes  t»-'lay  I  Imvrn't  linn-  t«-  inak<-  a  lull  r«-p«»rt   (if  all  we  saw.  l.nt  will 
'i  «.nr  trip,  ami  writ.-  yii  fully  li\  tin-  m-xt   umil. 
aivoiint  of  <-iir   httl«- park-inuli- w«-    ha«l  t«.   tia\ 

my  place  to  hirean«>tli«-r.  W.-  wt-n-  until  tin- 
ing  I  >  desigrnati 
road  and  cross  the  mcmnt.tii:-  t->  tin-  jrraut.      Hut  to  ir,., 
told  l>v  tin-    In.liaii-   it  is   no 
road  O\«T  wlii«-li  we  c<»ul<l   tukcourin                       |  unwilling  t<'  k'i\  ••  up 
'il«-- at  thi- sta^«- «-t    t!'                                               1 1.  I. ut  lia«l  t«.  at«aii«l«.n 
them  three  leagues  fnun  tin-  town,  »«-inliiiir  F«Tiiau<lu  with  tln-n; 
part  Of   our  baggage  t..   await    «.ui-  an-i\al    In-i-r.     >.>  Mi-.  IVrrv  :ni.l    I 
loaded  down  t«ur  |'a\as  with  hainin<K-ks.  h!ank<-ts.  pr« 
8taite<l  <ui  loi.t  fi.r  tin                          mpCL       \\.-u.-r.-a   iittli-  nn>|-»- than  two 
daysmakin>r  it.  tin-  di-tain  -                            '  !lni-t>    mil.---.      !  .ii.l  a 
pipante.  ami  |>uttiiix'"ur  "  tra|-"  ami  .nir-rh  cs   in   it  W( 

•  II.  wi-lia-1   a    ratln-r   r<-uu'h    \<.\a^»-nf  it.  ami  wen- wi . 

I         I  '  !        MICM. 

•  ii«-  (iiiainpu:  tin-  .li-tam-c  I  i-tiin. 
•  hirty  niil«--«'t  whirh  i-  t  hr< -u^h  n 
littl«-  \nll<-\.    rn-h   mnl -uitalil«-   for  tin-  ^n.win^   <.f  l.a: 

:  tin-  i-ntin-  '    tin-  \alN 

t  u.-nt\   inil<--  up  tin-  (iuampu.  tli- 

>|il<-.  iln-..iu\  -.ill. 'in. 

I'llllf..  wli. 

abigln-ml   i.,  tin-    <-a-l  tin-    Imlian    villages  as  Wr 

down.      At  Cniiuinto  w«-  cr«>sMM|  tin ••  «.unt  i 

.tnta,  the  east  hoi.  .j.-,i.,\\:i  i 

the  lagoon  of  the sann  .-hha-au  <nn.  M-.a.    AII 

aavanim  <l<  ._•  tin-  i.anks  ..f  these 

•-  andotberstrean  M  i  a.  k  i  i-.-m  «.m-  humir.  <i 

\v  nli-.  ami  in  phu-i-n  in- 

1 1  m  i  ai  1 1  hcce  bikec,  QiraUi- 
and  a  i  >tu.in  id.    Catma  ami  ('aratasca  is  swam  i 

h    point    tin 
in  the  wet  soawm.  I  am  told,  |»lpant(-H  can  cross 


HONDURAS.  15 

Leaving  these  lakes  we  returned  to  Cro  punto  and  embarked  in  our 
pipante  for  Brus  on  the  24th,  reaching  there  that  night.  Here  we 
stayed  two  days  awaiting  a  boat.  Then  Mr.  Perry  went  back  to  Cara- 
tasca  lake,  and  I  started  for  here,  and  was  six  days  in  making  it,  three 
days  of  which  we  lay  at  the  entrance  of  Brus  lagoon.  The  sea  being 
very  rough  with  a  north  wind,  we  could  not  get  out  with  our  dory. 

Mr.  Perry  is  delighted  with  the  grant,  and  I  assure  you  he  has  a 
.right  to  be.  We  saw  vast  bodies  of  good  grazing  land,  usually  well 
watered,  and  the  cattle,  what  few  we  saw,  were  fat.  We  were  told 
that  nothing  in  the  way  of  insects  troubled  either  horses  or  cattle.  We 
saw  no  snakes,  but  we  were  told  that  in  the  bush  land  there  are  a  great 
many.  I  found  it  nothing  like  as  hot  as  I  had  expected;  although  we 
were  walking  a  great  deal  we  did  not  suffer  from  heat.  A  strong  east 
wind  blows  from  about  nine  or  ten  in  the  morning  all  day,  and  the 
nights  are  pleasant.  We  were  troubled  at  a  few  places  by  mosquitoes, 
but  this  was  when  we  slept  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers. 

I  will  give  you  a  detailed  account  by  the  next  mail  of  all  we  saw, 
and  any  opinion  I  may  have.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  in  my  judgment  you 
have  a  big  thing,  and  with  the  proper  expenditure  of  a  few  hundred 
thousand  you  will  have  a  property  worth  a  good  sum— I  think  you 
could  say  m  lllons.  Hope  you  had  «  pleasant  trip  home.  We  had  splen- 
did health  all  the  way,  and  nothing  to  complain  of  except  that  our 
"  grub  "  was  short  a  few  times.  Truly  yours, 

J.  P.  TAYLOR. 

Under  date  of  May  13,  Mr.  Taylor  wrote  again  to  his  em- 
ployer as  follows: 

Having  traveled  from  southwest  to  northeast  through  the  grant, 
and  also  across  the  south  and  the  north  ends,  we  were  able  to  see  a  great 
portion  of  the  lands,  streams  and  lakes  belonging  to  the  grant.  In  order 
to  give  you  an  idea  of  the  rivers,  lakes,  savannas  and  mountains,  I 
enclose  a  rough  sketch,  which  will  serve  to  point  out  the  different  local- 
ties  and  give  you  a  better  idea  of  the  country.  Although  you  will  at 
once  discover  that  I  am  a  poor  maker  of  maps,  you  will  understand  the 
design  and  overlook  my  shortcomings. 

The  Patuca,  the  largest  of  any  of  the  rivers,  winds  its  way  through 
the  grant  from  the  southwest  to  the  northeast,  thus  flowing  more  than 
150  miles  (all  of  which  is  navigable)  through  the  lands  of  the  Honduras 
Company.  Of  course  it  will  require  some  work  in  the  way  of  clean- 
ing out  snags.  In  one  place  there  are  some  rocks,  and  one  or  two 
shoals  will  need  channeling  a  little,  but  none  of  the  work  will  be  costly, 
and  it  will  require  but  little  time  to  have  it  in  good  condition  for  boats. 

The  grant  being  divided  by  the  Patuca  river,  we  have  on  the  east,  or 
or  rather  on  the  southeast,  a  vast  scope  of  savanna  or  ocotal,  broken 


HONDURAS. 

only  by  the  spurs  .  t  ih.  .lutn-alpa  mountain-  m  \\ 

nlng  down  a  few  miles.    On  ami  around  th.  Indians  . 

COnfti'i  -arsaparilla.  ••(••      <  Hi  tln-s«-sa\  anna  Ian 

common  wild  Drawee  of  this  <-ountr\  .<m  wim  h  tin-.  atti.-and  \\«\^<  ~ 

n  i-  now  late  in  the  dry  N  I*  tad 

look  better  than   any  wr  saw  in  tin-  olan.  ho  miintn.  -oems 

it. I.  i-itlMT  i-attii-or  horses,  and  while  in  phu-<-s  you  find  the  grass 
a  little  thin,  niidsiu-h  places  will  nMjuire  som  -heless 

find  siinii'ientgtMMltrntzinir  lands  on  thisside<>i  tlx  .m\   thoii- 

aandaof  head  of  st<>,  k.     Tin-  sa \anna  or  .,,-.,t. 1 1  lands  are aepii 
thi-  n\«t    l.\  -kirts  <>|    i.ii^h  land  whi.-h   i-ln-in  notliiii- 
wide.    This  biKh  land,  which  is  almost  like  a  juntri- .  i-  what  th«-  natives 
raise  their  bananas,  etc.,  on. 

..iranta  i  IMT  "ii  th«-  • 

miles.  i.kt-<i.  has  Imt   littlt-  1'all,  and  tl»  Tin- 

lands  lyiiiK  ariiun.l  (liiaranta  an-i  •  -w  ami  in  places 

-u:ini|.\  .  - .  linn  -I:  -..  I'nai   I    •!•  •  n- -t  t  liink  it   w..:i|.i  I..-  a  h«-alth\   l«.  cation 
fora  '  "li-iiH-nt:  but  tln-s.-  laml-.  an-  tin.  Tin- 

swampy  parte  of  tho<- land>  lall  ino-ti\  ».«-t  w.-.-n  tin-  r  •    and 

i.  tin- Lot  information  w»-  «-oiil.l  L-athn.it  \\oiild 
.  c<.niM-rt  tin-in  li\  at  anal  -.in.-  I.  .ur  mil.-  |oii»r . 
watt-r  in  l.oth  <  .  'iould 

think,  lor  alino-t  :m\  -i/«-  -t.-anii-r.  ami  an  cxc«-l|(-nt  harliot,  I 
«-oniii-«-t  i'.n  t,,  I,.-  ahno-t    ind^|>«-n-al>l<-.     At  <'ro|ninto  w<-  h:r 
ful  savanna  t-<mnt  i  \ .  tin-  l«-in>;  alioiit  a  li-avrn«-  up  tin-  ri\  <-r  I  mm 
aooniu-ctioii  would  )><•  made       ll<  i*    \\  ••  h.i\  i-  I.II-MM  ..I  iiml..  i  tor  l-uild- 

ln^  good  water,  etc.,  making  an  <-\i-ciicnt  pia.-'-  t..r  a  \iiia_ 

!ii«-nt        Von  can  n-adilv   •.••!•  t  In- ad\  ant  •  n  has 

not  Hiilli.  x-nt  -.\;iti-i   in   tin-  channel   tor  an>  tiling   Imt   small  boat- 
tin-  bar  ol   tlu-  I 

\S  .    toiitid  .,ri  thi-.    Hi.-   soul 

lages,  e#tin  about    ^in   in  population.     s,,m,-  ,,f  t  h.  -m  -i 

hlllf  Knt'li-h  ;th<  :m-whal    in 

engaged  ni<  I.IHT.  -ai-sai 

«  MI  tin-  noi -thuc-t  -idi-   o|  tin-   Patm-a  w. 
(reams  run: 

ntain. 
!aki-    and  tin-  -i  | 

have  a  large  scope  of  wi  i|>ailn 

||   ol    .-0111111 

• 
• 


HONDURAS.  17 

finest  agricultural  lands  I  have  ever  seen.  You  can  hardly  imagine  any- 
thing but  what  will  grow  most  luxuriantly :  bananas,  plantains,  pine- 
apples, sweet  potatoes,  corn,  beans,  tomatos,  watermelons,  and,  in  fact, 
almost  anything  you  plant. 

All  along  the  coast  and  around  the  lagoons,  while  it  is  not  so  good 
for  bananas  and  plantains,  it  is  so  much  the  better  for  cocals  [cocoanut 
plantations];  and  while  anything  in  the  vegetable  line  grows  here  it  is 
not  so  good  for  bananas,  etc.,  as  the  soil  is  sandy,  and  they  don't  seem 
to  last  many  years. 

Black  river  is  said  to  be  navigable  eighty  miles.  Ebon  lake  is  fifteen 
miles  long,  and  extends  west  within  half-a-mileof  Plantain  river,  which 
is  navigable  for  forty  miles.  Thus  you  see  that  most  all  of  the  whole 
grant  is  easily  reached. 

I  believe  this  is  as  good,  if  not  the  best  fruit-growing  country  on  this, 
the  north  coast  of  Honduras,  and  for  stock-raising,  everything  consid- 
ered, 1  believe  it  would  te  hard  to  find  a  place  to  equal  this. 

We  were  told  that  there  are  about  the  same  number  of  Indians 
on  this  side  of  the  Patuca  as  there  are  on  the  southeast  side.  They 
are  all  peaceable,  and  we  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  on  all  right  with 
them. 

We  are  told  that  up  the  Guaranta,  Guineo,  Black  and  Plantain  there 
are  good  lots  of  mahogany  and  cedar.  I  am  especially  delighted  with 
the  Patuca  country.  While  it  is  a  good,  large  river,  it  has  a  strong  cur- 
rent and  high  banks,  and  overflows  but  little  land  even  at  its  highest.  I 
think  it  is  perfectly  healthy ;  usually  a  good  strong  breeze  blows  from 
morning  to  night. 

The  route  from  Juticalpa  to  the  river  Patuca,  ma  Dulce  Nombre, 
Lagarto,  and  Guampu  is  perfectly  practicable  for  a  wagon  road,  which 
can  be  made  at  reasonable  cost.  The  whole  distance  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Guampu  to  Juticalpa  is  about  150  miles,  twenty-six  leagues  of  which 
would  be  through  the  Juticalpa  valley,  and  would  require  but  little 
work.  The  Lagarto  section  would  be  the  most  difficult,  as  it  is  moun- 
tainous and,  like  the  Guampu,  has  a  heavy  undergrowth  ;  but  I  think  we 
have  sufficient  scope  to  get  a  good,  easy  grade,  and  as  the  subsoil  is  of  a 
sandy  nature,  by  cutting  the  timber  well  away  from  the  road  I  think  it 
would  be  reasonably  dry  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

Taking  the  grant  as  a  whole,  I  think  it  is  decidedly  a  very  fine  piece 
of  property,  and  while  I  believe  thoroughly  in  some  of  the  mines  of 

and  pampas  abundantly  provided  with  pure  water."  See  page  13. 
Reporting  to  the  general  Government  in  reply  to  questions  about  this 
grant,  Senor  Fernando  Martinez,  governor  of  Colon,  said,  November  4, 
1887:  "The  lands  referred  to  contain  a  number  of  mountains  covered 
with  every  kind  of  woods,  India  rubber,  cactus  and  pita  fibres,  and  so 
extensive  and  unobstructed  savannas  that  the  view  is  lost  in  the  dis- 
tance." 


18 


Honduras   I    know   of  none   that    1  would    like  t<»  CM  IKHIV 
ram  I.                              >  seem  a  \«  n.  but   \\  licit  >  on  >ee 

have-  t  '  "t    t<>..  mm  h  |<i  • 

nils  to  agree  wit  h  m«  -. 

LHD  OTHEB   A«»OD8. 

The  more   valuable  of  the   woods  found  on  ii  i.uit 

are  mahogany,  ligmimvitae,  ;  <  How 

sandal-wood,    cedar.    India-rubber.    <-\  pp-^,   <ania    inaria. 
dillo.  laurel,   pole-wood   or  granadillo,  sap< 
oak   and  a  great  variety   of  palms.     Of  some  of  tin 
ur«-  i-  vi-ry  line,  and  capable  <>f  rceeivini:  a  line  polish.      For  the 
lumber  made  from  them  ready  -ale  ran  dniil-1 
at   fair   profits.     Of   the    mahogany.    M.    (J.  Sijuier   said    in    his 
tei  on  Central  America:" 

Theniiih  vs  in  nearly  all  parts  ot    Hiiinliir;i 

ol   tln-\an  I.      It    K    hi'Wt-\  i-r.  iiH'-t    aliiin<l.tiit    IJ|MHI    tin 

jri'diiiuls  \vliich  liniclt-r  tin-  ri\fi<  flowing  into  the  UM\  (it  llmi 
ulicr<-  it  al-«>  attain-  it<  jfreatevt  si/.eaml  lieant\  .  nii'l  wliere  the  n 
any-work8,  eall"  :  i-uttitjy-  liy  the  S.uuiianN.  art-  eliiell  \ 

fined.     As  tliese    lands   are  for  the  iim-t  part  t  h<-  \>r>  >\>i-i  t  \  «>(   the  - 
the  wood    is  cut    under  licence-  obtained   from  the  ir«'\  eminent,  wliu-h 
.111    l'..r   eai-hti>e.      i:.\c.-pt  t  In  -e  made  at  t  he  in-  nit  h  «  .f" 
the  \  arious  rivers   for   rei-eivin^.  tnarkin-.:  and  -hippiny  tin 

:  di.wn.  the  iiialioyan\-  c-.-t  aMi-him-nt  s  are  neees^ril\  teni]  • 
and  changed  t  nun  tune  t  •>  time  as  trees  • 

Writing  of  the  pine,  the  n-dur  an  1  tl  I.  in 

the  same  work 

Anionu'   the  coiiiinoii   and     nn.«l    u-etiil    w<,,,d-.    the 

!ir-l    mention,   not   !«•.*>  on  aeemint  . 

lent    .|iialit\    thai.  i!ni(.-t  be  Kjud  t..  . 

all  the  m-.re  ele\  .-ited  |  1  1  «  Hid  1  1  ra-.  t  nun  mie  vea  to  the 

rponthel1  .,l    the  ci.ntinent  it  make-  iith«- 

nd    nioiintnins   at    the    height    <>!    .I'-ut    l.-.'in    t.-.-i    abi.vi    t  he  Ma. 
I  the  intei  MM   th«-   At 

de<-|i\  it\  it  i^  abundant  neatl\  down  t<  :    it   on  the 

|o\r    hi  Bf   the   tflejit    plio: 

260  feet;  and    it    i*    well     kno\vn    tlmt    »n   the    »a\aiiiia-«    bordering  t  he 
.ind  laKoon-  t'.  i  u  e||  a-   <m    t  h« 


HONDURAS.  19 


quito  Shore,  it  is  a  characteristic  feature.  The  trees  do  not  grow  closely 
together,  but  stand  well  apart,  permitting  the  mountain  grasses  to  grow 
beneath  and  around  them,  so  that  a  pine  forest  in  the  interior  more 
resembles  a  well-kept  park  than  the  thickets  to  which  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  give  the  name  of  forest.  The  trees  grow  frequently  to  great 
size,  but  average  about  twenty  inches  in  diameter.  They  are  rich  in 
pitch,  and  the  wood  is  firm,  heavy,  and  durable,  and  the  heart  is  never 
attacked  by  insects.  It  furnishes,  therefore,  a  cheap  and  convenient 
timber  for  all  kinds  of  constructions  in  the  country,  as  well  for  bridges 
as  for  buildings  and  for  boats.  Captain  Henderson  observes  of  the 
Honduras  pine;  "The  timber  which  it  furnishes  can  scarcely  be  exceeded 
in  size,  and  is  generally  considered,  for  every  necessary  purpose,  greatly 
superior  to  what  can  be  imported  from  the  United  States ;"  and  Strange- 
ways  expresses  the  conviction  that  the  endless  tracts  of  pine  forest  on 
the  northern  coast  will  ultimately  come  to  furnish  a  large  supply  both 
of  pitch,  tar,  and  timber  for  the  wants  of  commerce. 

The  cedro,  or  cedar  (Cedrela  Odorata,  L.),  ranks  next  to  the  pine  in 
the  list  of  common  and  useful  woods.  It  is  found  in  all  the  valleys,  but 
more  particularly  in  those  of  the  principal  rivers  near  the  coast.  It 
attains  the  height  of  seventy  or  eighty  feet,  and  a  diameter  of  from 
four  to  seven  feet.  It  is  not  attacked  by  insects,  is  light  and  easily 
worked,  as  well  as  ornamental  in  color  and  agreeable  in  smell.  For 
these  reasons,  it  is  more  extensively  used  than  any  other  wood  in  Hon- 
duras. It  is  now  exported  in  small,  but  increasing  quantities.  Most  of 
the  canoes  and  pitpans  of  the  natives  are  hollowed  from  the  trunks  of 
the  cedro,  and  are  both  light  and  durable,  but  liable  to  be  split  in  beach- 
ing. 

The  ceiba,  or  silk-cotton-tree  (Bombax  Ceiba,  L.),  is  abundant,  and 
distinguished  for  its  vast  size,  which  leads  to  its  common  use  for  'bon 
gos1  and  'pitpans.1  I  have  seen  boats,  hollowed  from  a  single  trunk, 
which  would  measure  seven  feet  in  'the  clear1  between  the  sides.  This 
tree  blossoms  two  or  three  times  a  year,  when  its  carnation  flowers  give 
a  bloom  to  an  entire  forest.  It  produces  a  pod  containing  a  kind  of  downy 
fibre  or  cotton,  which  is  sometimes  used  to  stuff  cushions  and  pillows, 
and  may  possibly  be  made  useful  for  other  purposes. 

The  larger  of  the  mahogany  trees  which  grew  within  easy  dis- 
tance from  the  Patuca  were  cut,  many  years  ago,  by  English  and 
by  Scotch  compinies.  Taey  left  the  other  valuable  woods  al- 
most untouched.  In  the  long  time  which  has  passed  since  those 
companies  abandoned  the  field  the  timber  has  improved  so  greatly 
in  size  that  the  ground  might  be  profitably  cut  over  again,  even 
though  no  other  wood  than  mahogany  should  be  taken.  The 


HONDURAS. 

cedar,  rosewood,  santa  marla,  aapadjllo  and  other  tir. 

will  of  themselve,  pay   iarrr  pn.tits.      N 
can  /  t  wages  ranging  from  $8  to  * 

•.  is  a  stream  down  whirl,  loge 
wiih  ease  and  ;!  Cost.     The  <• 

t*\n.  ilneo  and   other  iiv«  i>  l,;; 

.1  by  timlM-r  cutters.     Karl,  of  these  stream.- 
ibly. 

Th.   1 1. .11.  Win    0.  Hurchard.  United  States  consul  at  Ruatan. 
has   lived    tliirtx  -three   years  in    Honduras.      I»i;> 
those  years  he  was  Governor  of  the  Depnrinx  nr 
whirl.  ||M.  I',-rry  irrant  is  includ,-,).  and  which   no> 
part  of  tlu-  D.-partnu-nt  of  Colon.     In  this  long  period  Mr.  Hun-h- 
ard has  accumulated  the  knowledge  which  gives  him  t] 
tton  of  I)  -in-  in  -r,-  fully  and  accurately  inform,-,! 
Honduras  than  is  any  other  man.     From  pn>..,::i! 
i-  ftbte  to  furnbh  complete  and  valuable  informati<  n  ab.  ut  all]  .-.IK 
of  M  .>>!  litia,  its  natural  productions  and  its  capabilities     From 
his  letter-book  the  subjoined  extracts  from  a  leiier  written  in 
June,  1*79,  are  taken  : 

Tl"  -juifia  an-    without    .l.nil.t    i  irl.rr    ,,,    • 

WOOds  than  til.-,-  ,,f  any  ntli.-r  I  ».-,,;,,•(  mmt  ,,|   thi<   H.-p.iMi 
fortune* have  IM-.-I.  ma.l.-  by  KnulM.  speculutors  in  mal 
"t  th-  the  province.    Thi 

worked  for  nut07  7«u«  on  re  scale     Atpn  .irge8t 

iniih...  ,  m      •    •    *    *    AI  (• 

all  tin- liitnlii-r  iin.l   fiiniitun- IH...J   „,   Sj,.,m,|,  an-l   in  British  Hon 

are  imported  hrom  the  United  Statoc.   TI.C.IUM  ;  ,  ,„,.. 

nitin  .in-  M  IH.UM.J. 

• 

inavMNtu.l,-,,!    th.-  I. u-ii,.-^  »i,,|  ,,M|,,.  ,.,,,,„  u|li(.|,  ,„, 
ma  -:iwi,,ill   an. I   fun  ,M|  jn 

ml    tin-  >, 
111  ai.othrr    letter 


HONDURAS.  21 

wrote  in  reply  to  questions  forwarded  from  the  Department  of 
State: 

Honduras  is  a  mountainous  country,  drained  by  a  number  of  large 
rivers  fed  by  rapid  tributaries,  many  of  wh'ch  are  natural  water-powers 
capable  of  running  mills  of  almost  any  capacity.  They  can  be  secured, 
not  only  without  cost,  but  I  think  that  the  local  authorities  of  the  large 
towns  would  give  material  aid  toward  the  establishment  of  saw-mills 
and  other  kinds  of  machinery,  which  are  greatly  needed  by  the  country. 
Such  establishments  would  pay  best  in  the  interior,  especially  in  the 
rich  Department  of  Olancho,  where  lumber,  furniture,  wagons,  carts, 
carriages  etc.,  would  find  a  ready  market,  and  where  northern  men  can 
enjoy  a  most  delicious  climate,  and  surround  themselves,  by  a  little 
industry,  with  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  both  temperate  and  tropi- 
cal zones. 

There  is  little  or  no  need  of  calling  attention  to  the  advan- 
tages which  will  result  to  Honduras  and  to  any  persons  or  com- 
pany through  supplying  this  demand.  Those  advantages  will 
become  more  plainly  apparent  when  a  good  wagon  road  shall 
have  been  constructed  to  connect  the  north  coast  with  the  interior 
of  the  Republic.  The  opening  of  such  a  road  from  the  head  of 
navigation  to  the  city  of  Juticalpa,  the  capital  of  the  rich  De- 
partment of  Olancho,  will  enable  such  a  company  to  furnish,  at 
lower  prices  than  have  ever  been  known  there,  all  the  lumber  and 
furniture  which  will  be  needed  in  the  great  valley  system  of 
which  Juticalpa  is  naturally  the  commercial  center. 

The  north  coast  of  Honduras  alone  uses  from  2,000,000  to 
3,000,000  feet  of  pine  lumber  in  a  year,  and  the  Bay  Islands  from 
150,000  to  250, 000  feet  per  annum.  Mill  run  long-leaved  pine,  un- 
planed  sells  for  $35,  and  planed  for  $45  per  M.  All  the  lumber 
used  on  the  coast  of  the  Carribean  sea,  from  Yucatan  in  the  north, 
to  Venezuela  in  the  south  is  imported,  chiefly  from  Nova 
Scotia  and  the  United  States.  The  consumption  will  increase  as 
great  public  works  will  be  undertaken  in  Central  America,  and 
as  the  people  of  other  lands  learn  something  of  the  advantages 
these  sub-tropical  countries  offer  to  enterprise  and  capital.  This 
increased  demand  this  grant  will,  by  reason  of  its  favorable 
geographical  position,  excellent  harbor  and  other  advantages,  be 
able  to  supply  at  fair  prices  from  its  almost  inexhaustible  forests. 


HONDUE  16 

FRUITS  AM»    I  HI      i  \DE. 

Of  fruits   Honduras  produces  a  large  variety,  \\hieh    find 
ready  sale  at  home,  as  well  as  in  the  markets  of  other  , 

I  among  these  in  commcn-ial.  as  in  food  vali.-  anas. 

Of  these  there  are  several  kind-,   tin-   mott 
platano  or  plantain.     All  through  the  country  ti  M  im- 

portant part  of  th«- daily  food  of  the  people.     Along  the  : 
coast  of  the  Republic  quantities  of  bananas   and    plantains  are 

n.  principally  for  the  market*  of  the  1'niti  d  Stale-.      \\  jihjn 
the  last  ten  year-  the  iralVu-  in  this  fruit  and  otlx 
has  grown  so  largely  that  three  lines  of  sterner-  I'M 
employment  in  carrying  the  ercjs  to  il:e  North.     Vet  all   this 
trade  has  been,  and  is  now  confined  to  that  part  of  the  coast 
beginning  seventy  miles  from  the  western  boundaiy  of  the  ( 
and  extending  to  Guatemala. 

A  plan  often  recommended  by  planter-  in   Hoi 
Inuaiiaor  plantain  sprouts  fifteen  feet  apart,  making  1!'. 
the  acre.     Each  of  these  plants  will   yield  a  bunch  of  fruit  in 
about  nine  months  after  planting.     These  sell  on   tin 

-  ranging  at  dill'erent  time-  from  IK 

•.although   rarely,  for  $1,  and    even    for  sl.iT>  ea<  h.     Thi- 
givetfiom  $78  to  $940  for  the  first  crop  from  •  :  that 

tin  yield  is   larger,  as  two  to  four  of  the  young   -pri-nt-  which 
sprinir    up   around  the  paren' 

imatex  as  to  the  cost  of  planting  and  car 

tion-«»f  hanaiias  or  of  plantain-  differ  in  variou-  ;  pieal 

America.     In  some  hu -alitie-  in   Central  and   untie- 

tems  <  inelit     f«.llo\\t(l    liy  m:i!i\.  the   co.-t    is    from  >• 

$25  a  maii/ana  of  10,000  squat*  •!"  tin- 

latest  and  i  that  \\liii  li    u:i-  \  tinted 

1 
ragua.     It  -tale-  that  it-  e-timate\\a-  pulili-ln  d  to  • 

jilllilic  liy  lilt-  (  'icfuf  the  Mi»-(|Uilo    I  ;  '.  hieh 

latter  estiin  heiiift  "pessimistic, 

exaggerated,  extravagant,  and  calculated  to  mi-l« -ad  tin  pul 


HONDURAS.  23 

The  Mosquito  Reserve  lies  next  south  of  the  Eepublic  of  Hon- 
duras.    The  estimate  of  El  Diario  states  that  the  cost  of  prepar- 
ing the  land,  planting  and  caring  for  44^  manzanas,  or  92  acres, 
and  the  income  therefrom  are  as  follows: 
Outlay  First  Year. 

44>£  manzanas  or  92  acres,  and  clearing  the  same  $  3,115 

10,000  sprouts,  @  Ic.  each 100 

Cultivating1,  first  year,  @,  $12  per  manzana 534 

Wages  and  sustenance  of  manager 708 

Wages  eight  extra  laborers,  15  days  harvesting  fruit 64 

Food  for  eight  laborers,  15  davs  @30c  per  diem  each 36 

Wages  and  food  for  cook  @  $23  per  month 276 

Building  utensils,  etc.,  etc 1,000 

Total  cost $  5,833 

Income. 

12,000   bunches  @  50c  gold $  6,000 

Premium  on  gold  @  33  per   cent 1,980 

Total,  $  7,980 

Deduct  20  per  cent  for  fruit  lost,  $    1,596 

Deduct  cost  as  shown  above, 5,833=        7,429 


Net  gains $      551 

Outlay  Second  Tear. 

Wages  8  laborers  @,  $16  per  month $  1,536 

Food  for  8  men  @  30  c.  each  per  diem 876 

Wages  and  food  of  manager  and  cook       984 

Materials,  replanting  and  incidental  expenses 500 


Total  cost. $  3,896 

Income. 

30,000  bunches  @  50c.  gold, $15,000 

Premium  on  gold  @,  33  per  cent 4,950 

Total $19,950 

Deduct  20  per  cent,  for  fruit  lost $  3.990 

Deduct  cost  as  above  for  second  year 3,896=  7,886 

Net  profits  second  year $  12,064 

In  1879  Consul  W.  C.  Burchard  wrote  on  the  subject  of  grow- 
ing bananas  and  plantains  in  the  Province  of  Mosquitia,  where 
this  grant  is  located,  as  follows  ; 

I  believe  that  facts  and  figures  will  warrant  me  in  saying  that  there 
is  no  agricultural  labor  more  profitable,  in  relation  to  the  capital 
required,  than  that  of  cultivating  bananas  and  some  other  tropical  fruits 


f4  //"MX 

in  this  countr\ .    [wlCglTOToa tbeoostand  product  o1 

<•  ot  land  planted  with  bananas: 

Cost  of  clearing  the  land  ,  -In!*. 

outs 
Planting  TOO  sprouts  <T  sucker-  in  MI 

cultivating  until  ftr»t  crop  to  harvested 

Interest  «'ii  investment  mi.-  v  Ml 

Total 348  75 

This  ^Imitation  the  t:i--t  \.  ar.  ..r  probably  in  ten  iiii.<  laiit- 

intr  the  suckers,  will  \  ield  T.'.n  bunches  i.f  banana-,  wlr.di  ai  i  |M-  , 
price  ol  :-event\  '.nil  here  will  jrive  SV>.'.   nr  a   net    pi  • 

".on  an  in\  estincnt,  with  int«-n-st  added, of  *;  ,iu-h  lor  the 

lii.-t  \«-ai.     For  tin-  -<  ron.  1.  ami  if  tin-  land  is  jfoo.l.  t.,r  t wt-nt\  |U< 
in>r  \i-ars,  tin- said  i»)aiitali«in  "I    !""\ard>   xjuan-  wili    .  ..liiiual 

product  iat-1-onlinjr  t«>  s<.il    "t  1'rom  two  to  tour  times  a>  niudi  as  that  of 
the  tirst  year.     The  only  expense  after  the  !ir-t  liai  \ «  -t  woiil.: 
out  the  weeds  01:  liiout  sltii,  and  that  of  cutting  and  deli\ 

th<    iruit  to  vessels,  which   would  be  from  six  to  i, 
bunoh. 

Of  course  tlx-re  are  drawbacks  to  this,  as  to  almost  all  other  ku 
farming.    No  crop  i.-  more  certain  than  that  of  banana*      Th- 
I  Ix'lieve  theonly  .•iit-mv   to  tin-  fruit   planter  in    Honduras  is  tin-  north 
wind.      In  tin-  winter  months  we  sometimes  ha\<-  li<-a\  \  ^alt--.  n<  i 
which  uproot  the  banana  trees  which  an-  not    pr..ti-«-t.'d   by   hills  <T   by 
forest  trees,  and  a  partial  lo.-s  of  tin-  crop  is  the  coi:^«-<|in-nc«-.     Hut  only 
tin- fruit  suffers.     Th«-  trc«-  is  m-ver  killt-d,  ;i>-,    wh«-thei    it    is   stain: 
lymg'On  the  ground,  new  suckers  will  alwa\  -  conn-  up  from  tin-  i< 

Th«    pn>\  in,-.-  ot  Mi  -juitia  has  as  yet  «-\poi  t.-,|  no  1 1  ml.  although  no 
<  th.-r  part  of  the  count  ry  possesses  as  nian\  BdVBI  n-  I'loduc- 

tion.     Kanaiias  ^i"u    spontaneously,  and  attain   the   I. 

r  ion  on  t  lie  margins  ol  all   it-  principal    i  i\ .  -r-.  and  a  (lord  an   inex- 
haustible supply  of  food    for  moiike\ -.  parrot^  :in,|   other  wild  i|.  ' 
oftheforest.      I'lantain    river,  whii-h  deri\cs  its   name   ti,,;u   theabun- 
dance  of  wild  banana-  and    plantain- which   irn.u    -|.ontaneoii-l\  on    its 
bank-  and   in   its  \  all«-y-.  i-   worths    of  esjK'i-ial  attention,  o" 
does,  a  I  a  rye  and  c.-itain  -upplv  of  fruil.  e-nia!  to  the  best  in  t  In-  coun- 

'.  hich     I-    -eellled     to     i,-  -    ,nt     1  I'olll     t  lie  (  J  o\  ernillell  I 

uilK-hcail    be    made    Jmilie-:  •  \.lllle         Tlie-e    I 

-  are  flrst  seen  ab  »ut  i  mles  up  tin-  Plantain  n\er     !  i  -in 

nth,  and    I  nun   thence    lurtlier   up   foi  .,,iit   thirty 

miles,  the  river.  ,,M  |,,,th  -ides,  i-  almo-t   one  ,  -  -nt  niu-.n-    banana    planta- 

.  -  on  either  l.ank.  u  Inch     -•c!i-ionall\  • 
a  oonciderable  dmtanc<-  back   into  the  bottom   laml-.      It    i-  ditliciilt   to 

make  anything  like  an  MttflMte  of  the  amount  of  frull  ra 


HONDURAS.  25 

for  the  shipment  which  might  be  obtained  from  Plantain  river  alone, 
but  it  is  quite  safe  to  calculate  that  a  steamship  capable  of  carrying 
8,000  to  10,000  bunches,  could  be  loaded  there  every  month.  By  having 
a  little  steamboat  to  tow  barges  up  and  down  the  river,  I  am  satisfied 
that  the  cost  of  cutting  the  fruit  and  delivering  it  alongside  of  the  ship- 
ping would  not  exceed  twelve  and  one-half  cents  a  bunch. 

Later,  the  Consul  wrote  to  a  company  which  proposed  to 
engage  in  the  fibre  business  in  Mosquitia:  "Facts  and  figures 
will  warrant  me  in  saying  that,  by  an  expenditure  of  $3,OCO  to 
$5,000,  the  banana  fields  of  Plantain  river  will  alone  yield  the 
company  a  net  profit  of  ten  per  cent,  on  the  amount  of  its  capital 
stock  [$600,000]."  Of  the  quality  of  this  fruit  Mr.  Burchard 
wrote  last  year:  "  It  is  larger  and  better  than  most  of  the  bananas 
grown  in  cultivated  fields." 

In  relation  to  these  fields  of  wild  fruit  Mr.  Wm.  H.  McKee,  who 
examined  this  region  in  1882  in  the  interest  of  the  company  men- 
tioned, wrote: 

The  fruit-growing  privileges  of  Plantain  river  can  be  understood 
only  by  being  seen.  The  soil  is  of  that  quality  most  desirable  for  the 
production  of  bananas,  and  the  banks  subject  to  that  gentle  inundation 
which  is  considered  to  be  of  all  things  the  most  beneficial  to  a  banana 
plantation,  and  which  certainly  renders  the  never-failing  fertility  of  the 
soil  assured . 

From  just  above  the  mouth  of  the  river,  for  the  space  of  a  day  and 
a  half's  journey,  the  banks  of  the  river  for  a  space  of  from  a  few  rods 
to  a  mile  and  a  half  upon  either  side,  are  clear  of  forests,  covered  only 
by  a  rank  growth  of  grass,  wild  cane  and  bananas. 

The  Mosquito  Indians  say  that  in  former  times  the  king  of  the  Mos- 
quitans  chose  the  banks  of  this  river  as  the  site  for  an  immense  planta- 
tion, and  each  year  compelled  his  subjects  to  clear  and  plant  a  certain 
area,  which  course  being  followed  for  a  long  period  of  years  resulted  in 
this  extensive  clearing,  which  has  never  again  grown  up  to  forests,  but 
remains  to  this  day  a  natural  plantation,  requiring  only  the  proper  care 
to  produce  fruit  enough  to  freight  a  fleet. 

Plantains  and  bananas  are  found  growing  wild  on  the  banks 
of  other  streams  on  this  grant,  especially  on  the  Patuca  and  the 
Guineo,  so  named  because  guineos  (bananas)  abound  along  its 
borders,  as  they  do  to  a  less  extent  near  other  waters  here.  At 
moderate  cost  these  uncared-for  patches  of  fruit  may  be  extended 


M  llnMH  . 

until  they  will  occupy  a  tract  as  wide  as  the  <  n>p  <  -an  1..   \>\ 

bly  carried  over  to  the  boats,  and  along  the  entire  length  of  the 

rivers   and   lagoons.     They  will 

source  from  which   supplies  of  sprouts  can   be  obtained  at 
nal  cost,  formally  \- 

•    the  rapidity  of  the  growth  which  the  fruit  i 
of    northern  Honduras  made,  even  in  the  eailier  years  of  i' 
j-iveii  bvanotherextrart  from  a  letter  prcvic  usly  «, 
on  page  24.     The  writer  said  : 


During  the  last  eighteen  month*  the  trade  in  tropical  fnn- 
Honduras  v.nd  the  t'nited  States  has  grown  t<.  a  wonderful  extent,  ;iii<l 
is  const  a  n  1  1  y  ami  rapidly  increasing.     R  eferenoe  to  the  consular  n 

<»f  this  office  will  fnveyou  many  interesting  tacts  an<l  figure-  in  i 

to  our  trade  with  Honduras.     In  the  r>  rival-  ami 

of  American  vessels  j'ou  will  find  that  since  the  flrstof  .Ianuar\ 

the  first  Of  this  month.  .June,  then-  have  U-en  titty-one  arrhal-  «.|    Am- 

erican vessel-   from  port-  ot   the   I'nited  States   tothi-pnrt  of   Kn:it:in. 

This  (Joes  not  include  the  arrivals  at  Trnxillo.  I'urrto  Torto  and  I'tilla. 

whieli  ports  belong  to  this  consular  district,    nf  the  said  i 

rivals,  twenty-one  were   steamships  and  thirty  sailing  -  ':«•  m- 

t  ,nok  -hows  that  for  the  same  period,  vi/...  live  moiit  hs.  •  -\  port-  <  t 
fruit*  from  tlii-  port  to  the  I'nited  States   ha\  «•  l>e.  \\  as  foil- 
Lunches  of  banana-.  l.lXM.iMi  cocoanuts,  1,063,000  plantMin-.   ' 

;iat«-  qiiantitiesof  pirn-apples,  limes.  Oranges,  mantio*-.  tain.; 
SOUK-  Imlia  riil.lM-r,  sarsa|.arilla,  hides.  ••  .   lmpc.it 

iitc-d  States  consist  Of  Hour.  pro\  i-i.m-.  lumliei-.  furnit 
leum,  hardware,  boots  and  shoes,  lager  i>ei  r.  toiiact  o,  dryjj 

(ireat  a^-  tlie  growth  of  the  trade  in  banan  n.  it   will 

probably  be  surpassed  by  that  of  the  tratlic  in  plantains  \\  hen  Un- 
people of  the  I'nited  States  shall    have  had  opportuni' 
the  food  value  of  the  last  named   fruit.      There  are   several  \ari- 
eties  of  the  plantains.  >.orm-  of  which  are  dried  and  preserved,   in 
whirl)  condition  they  will  keep  twenty  live  or  tint  '  Flour 

from  plantains  is  made  into  nutritive  biscuits.     <  >f  the  fresh  fruit 
100  parts  contain  twenty-seven   part*,  of  dry  nutritive  matter,  or 

;\vo  parts  less  than  the   potato.     A  single   plant    bears  from 
twenty  live  to  ninety  pounds  of  fruit,  \\orth  $7..r>ii  per  1 
fruiN.  or  three-fourths  cent  each.      An  •«  re  \\  ill    i  'ants. 


HONDURAS.  27 

which,  averaging  seventy  pounds  of  fruit  each,  will  yield  30,450 
pounds  of  nutritive  matter  and  some  600  pounds  of  fibre.  The 
returns  from  plantains  will  be  found  to  be  fully  as  large  as  those 
from  bananas,  while  the  demand  will  be  stronger  and  more  con- 
stant. At  present  the  people  of  those  United  States  ports  where 
plantains  are  landed,  buy  all  that  are  offered,  so  that  none  reach 
interior  towns.  The  fruit  is  cooked  in  a  great  number  of  ways, 
and  in  all  stages  of  growth.  Dogs,  cattle,  horses,  pigs,  fowls 
and  almost  all  other  animals  eat  the  banana  and  the  plantain.  To 
a  large  degree  this  fruit  takes  the  place  of  breadstuffs  in  all 
countries  in  which  it  grows. 

A  person  can  start  from  New  Orleans  or  Mobile  with  only 
$275  in  his  pocket,  and  by  planting  bananas  on  this  grant  can 
in  one  year  begin  to  get  an  income  of  $1,800  per  annum.  His 
fare  to  the  coast  will  be  $35  ;  clearing  and  planting  10  acres, 
$120  ;  expenses  of  living,  $120  ;  total,  $275.  He  can  himself  clear 
and  plant  10  acres  at  least,  making  a  total  of  20  acres  of  plantation 
which  will  each  yield  200  bunches  for  the  first  crop,  9  months 
after  planting,  or  a  total  of  4,000  bunches.  During  eight  months 
of  the  year  the  price  will  be  about  50  cents  a  bunch.  At  those 
figures  the  crop  would  bring  $2.000.  For  four  months  the  price 
is  about  35  cents  a  bunch,  which  would  give  an  income  of  $1,400 
each  nine  months. 

Pineapples  grow  to  large  size,  and  of  superior  flavor  in  North- 
eatern  Honduras.  The  variety  known  as  sugar  pines  is  especially 
worthy  of  attention,  being  very  large  and  sweet.  On  the  sandy 
land  between  Caratasca  lagoon  and  the  ocean  they  often  reach  a 
circumference  of  17^  to  18  inches,  by  27  to  30  inches  in  the 
longer  circumference,  and  a  weight  of  5  to  7  pounds. 

In  some  places  pineapple  sprouts  are  planted  in  rows  3^  feet 
apart,  the  plants  being  set  2^  feet  apart  in  the  rows.  This  gives 
4,080  to  the  acre  from  which  4,000  pines  should  be  obtained  in  16 
to  18  months  after  planting.  In  the  Bahamas  the  plants  are  per- 
mitted to  grow  within  18  inches  of  each  other,  making  19,360  to 
to  an  acre,  but  the  yield  is  probably  neither  as  good  in  quality 


28  HONDVl 

nor  as  large  in  number  as  from  fields  in  which  the  phi: 

ther  apart,  and  in  which  $25  to  $:io  p«  r  acre  is  spent  per  annum 

in  cultivation. 

The  usual  price   for  common   pineapples  on   the  Hon.: 
coast  is  six  and  one-fourth  cents  e:u  h.      The  large,  sweet  sugar 
pines  will  bring   at    least    ten    to  fifteen  cenK  ea<  h  when  MI; 
in  quantities,  great  enough  to  make  it  an  object  to  keep  them 
separate  from  the  others  in  handling.     A  crop  of  4,000  pines  at 
six  and  one-fourth  cents  will  bring  $240,  a   net    profit   of   fully 
$200  per  acre.      If  the  plants  are  only  eighteen  incho  apai - 
should  yield  at  least  10,000  saleable  fruits  for  the  .sixteen  to 
teen  months,  worth  $625,  of  which  $575  should  be  net  gain  which 
is  equal  to  $385  for  a  year,  per 

Oranges  are  grown  here  in  profusion,  with  n«>  can-.  Tin- 
trees  are  seedlings,  untrimmed,  and  the  ground  they  stand  on  is 
never  cultivated — the  truth  that  IK.  land  ;liivuied  ll 

Republic  should  be  kept  in  mind.     Yet  most  of  the  orange 
then-   produce   good  crops  of  a  fair  quality  and  si/e.  and 
yield  fruit  of  exceeding  sweetness,  and  larger  than  the  average 
of  oranges  offered  in  northern  markets. 

A  great  variety  of  indigenous  and  other  fruits  can  he  <rrown 
in  Honduras,  and  be  profitably  sent  to  foreign  markets  in  a  fresh, 
or  in  some  preserved  form.  To  th-.x  now  grown  may  be  added, 
with  little  labor  or  expense,  apricots,  plum-  almonds, 

olives,  figs,  dates,  walnuts, etc.    These  will  source  of 

dailv  and  very  large  income  tocultivators  of  the  Ian-.  litia. 

In  "  Notes  on  Honduras,"  Squire  gives  a  partial  1M  «.f  in.; 
nous  fruits  of  this  region.     On  page  182  In 

Apart  IP. in  tli.-  lime,  lemon.  «>, -jinjf.-.  ami  palm  trees.  thi>i<>  tsa  great 
variety  of  trees  ln-arin^  innt-  wliich 

aeao  is  one  of  these,  a  .n.iant   <>n   tin-  north- 

ern alluvions,  when?  the  natives  draw  th<  ;  plie<  iron 

forest*.    It  is  known  there  as  the  cacao  mi<  <>.  tn..nk«  \  »r  wii<!  cacao, 

r.rnl   i»  'i.-.J  In, MI  tin-  OH  I  nut*., 

'    I-  < -lalllie.J,  a  III  •  |.IMientii-tl.  :«-*.eni»illrHf 

the  Jamaica *'all»ploe" (My rtus  Pimenta),  is  al.no  in<b  win, u- 


HONDURAS.  29 

is  somewhat  larger  than  the  variety  found  in  the  islands,  but  weaker  in 
its  aroma,  and  has  not  yet  entered  into  the  commerce  of  the  country. 

The  Anona,  of  several  varieties,  is  also  indigenous ;  the  Aguacate,  or 
Alligator  Pear  (Persea  Gratimima);  Citron  (Citrus  Tuberosa);  Tamarind 
(Tamarindus  Occidentalis);  Guava  (PsidiumGuajavas);  Pines  (Bromelia 
Ananas);  Mango  (Mangofera  Domestica);  Papaya  (Carica  Papaya);  Zapote 
Granado  (Punica  Granatum);  Mamay  (Lucuma  Bomplandi);  Nance; 
Jocote,or  wild  Plum  ;  Manzanilla,  etc.,  etc. 

The  Vanilla  (Epidendrum  Vanilla)  occurs  in  the  same  district  with 
the  sarsaparilla,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  luxuriance  and  the  size  of  its 
pod.  It  has  not  yet  become  an  article  of  export,  but  the  specimens 
which  have  been  sent  to  the  United  States  and  Europe  have  already 
elicited  orders  beyond  the  capacity  of  the  available  labor  of  the  coast  to 
supply. 

In  nearly  all  parts  of  Honduras  wild  guava  trees  abound.  In 
the  region  drained  by  the  Patuca  and  its  tributaries,  particularly 
in  the  valley  of  Juticalpa,  thousands  of  bushels  of  guavas  ripen 
each  year,  only  to  be  eaten  by  wild  animals  or  to  rot  on  the 
ground.  A  large  part  of  this  yield  might  be  profitably  made  to 
contribute  to  the  earnings  of  the  people  of  these  valley  s,  by  pro- 
viding means  for  its  easy  and  quick  transportation  to  factories 
where  this  now  waste  product  could  be  preserved .  This  is  also 
true  of  a  large  variety  of  indigenous  fruits  which  would  sell 
readily  in  other  countries.  Coffee  and  cacao  prow  well  even  on 
the  coast,  and  require  nothing  more  than  ordinary  attention  to 
make  them  very  profitable  to  the  producer. 

OTHER  INDUSTRIES. 

Fruit-growing  absorbs  the  attention  of  many  who  learn  of  the 
natural  resources  of  northern  Honduras;  but  other  industries  can 
be  carried  on  there  with  as  great  gains  as  are  obtained  from  fruits, 
or  even  greater.  Sarsaparilla  from  Honduras  has  for  many  years 
been  recognized  as  the  best  in  the  markets.  By  judicious  man- 
agement it  can  be  made  to  yield  1,500  to  2,000  pounds  of  roots  per 
acre  per  annum.  At  rates  current  on  the  coast,  this  is  equal  to 
$575  to  $700  per  acre.  By  the  adoption  of  better  methods  in 
handling  the  roots,  their  value  will  be  increased  until  this  crop 
will  become  the  source  of  immense  revenue  to  settlers  on  this 
grant. 


SO  HONDURAS. 

mtations  of  ulc,  or  India -rubber  trees,  pay  richly.     Tin 
temati*  cultivation  of  rubber  tree-  ha-  !  <i  the 

field  is  new  and  a  most  pnmii-in::  one. 

The  greater  part   of  the    income  of  tlu-  Indians  who  live  in 
Mosquitia  comes  through  the  gathering  of  rubb. -r,    -arsaparilla, 
liquid   amber,  copal   and    other  products  of  forest  and  plain;  but 
the  Indians  are  so  very  few,  and  the  quantity  of  - 
plants  used  in  the  arts  or  in  mcdicii  e  i-  -o^reat.tlmt 
be  made  to  give  emyloyment  and  good  rny  to  all  who  will  »jitlu-r 
them.     Some  at  least  may  be  cultivated  profitably,     li- 
the very  incomplete  list  of  natural  productions  of  tlr 
given  on  page  ",«;,  will  give  some  idea  of  the  vari<  t\   of  such 
plants  found  in  Mosquitia. 

Rice  grows  well    in   Hoi. dura.-.    tl.«  rcund   Hie 

sounds  or  lagoons  being  especially  adapted  to  its  successful  culti- 
vation. Honduras  rice  sells  for  better  prices  than  bre  paid  for 
rice  grown  in  the  Southern  States.  It  is  sought  for  -eed . 

Cotton  grows  into  trees  20  feet  hi-rh.  which  yield  -rood  .-• 
year  after  year. 

Besides  those  mentioned,  there  are  other  sourctsof  income 
which  will  give  to  settlers  on  this  grant  from  200  to  }i  0 
per  annum  on  the  capital    required   for   the    development  and 
management  of  such  cnterpri-.  -f  them  arc  -m-h  a-  can  In- 

carried  on  profitably  intemperate  zones,  but  tin    -renter  in. 
and  movt  profitable  arc  of  a  kind  which  can  never  In-  i; 
tion  with  the  product- of  regions   where  fmsi-   .«  ur.      Tl,- 
tier   need    not  rai-e  ili"-,.  cmp^  \\  hich  can  be  Lrio\\  n  in  the  I'niied 
States,  for    he   can   alTonl  to  import   flour,  c»ru  and  calico.- 
duced  in  the  north  bv  the   aid    of  macliim-r\  and  underpaid  toil, 
and  dev.te  hi-  attentioi  t)liogl   \\liich    brini.' 

prices,  CQtt  a  minimum  of  toil  and  th<  iiL-lit  :  ot  be 

grown  in  very  large  accessible  area*. 

In  the   western   end  of  the   _-;rair  il-  "f  L'«'!d,    which 

.n..wntobe   rich.      Kast    of  the  Black    rivei mountain 
'••rry  grant,  which  Consul   Bun-hard  OO< 


HONDURAS.  31 

vast  unexplored  region,  inhabited  only  by  uncivilized  Indians, 
which  we  know  contains  gold,  from  the  fact  that  the  Indians  are 
constantly  bringing  small  quantities  of  that  precious  metal  to 
barter  with  traders  on  the  coast  for  ammunition,  trinkets,  etc.  On 
the  west  fork  of  the  Tinto  [Black  River],  called  Rio  Sico.  gold  is 
found  in  the  river  and  all  its  tributaries,  but  is  extracted  only  by 
Indians,  and  in  the  rudest  manner  possible.  The  only  tools  they 
employ  are  a  pointed  stick,  a  horn  spoon  and  a  wooden  bowl  or 
batea.  The  mineral  wealth  of  La  Mosquitia  is  yet  undeveloped. 
The  few  tests  that  have  been  made  at  El  Dorado,  have  given  most 
satisfactory  and  promising  results." 

Useful  and  valuable  fibers  are  obtained  from  the  husk  of  the 
cocoanut,  from  pita  plants  and  from  the  stalks  of  bananas,  plant- 
ain and  other  growths.  From  an  acre  of  banana  stalks  about  600 
pounds  of  fiber  can  be  gathered.  Pita  fiber  is  for  some  uses  super- 
ior to  all  others  known,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  in  a  short 
time  all  the  difficulties  which  now  prevent  its  general  introduction 
for  those  uses  will  be  removed. 

STOCK-GROWING. 

Those  who  have  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  busi- 
ness of  stock-growing  in  America,  and  have  seen  the  country  in 
which  the  Perry  grant  is  situated,  agree  with  the  opinion  ex- 
pressed by  Mr.  Taylor,  who  says,  "  for  stock-raising,  everything 
considered,  I  believe  it  would  be  hard  to  find  a  place  equal  to 
this."  Several  kinds  of  grasses  afford  good  pasturage  in  Hon- 
duras. The  savannas  of  the  northeastern  part  are  covered  by 
forage.  In  the  dry  months  some  of  the  grasses  ripen  and  cure 
as  they  stand,  thus  making  good  hay  even  while  there  is  a  growth 
of  green  and  palatable  leaves  at  the  roots  of  the  plants. 

Chief  in  the  list  of  cultivated  plants  used  for  forage  are 
maize,  Egyptian  corn,  barley,  sugar  cane  and  para  grass.  The 
cane  is  an  indigenous  variety,  softer  and  richer  than  the  Asiatic 
kind  grown  in  the  United  States,  and  is  therefore  better  as  food 
for  stock  than  the  latter  would  be.  The  Honduras  cane  grows 
continuously  without  replanting.  Cattle  eat  the  leaves  and  fruit 


jt  HONDURAS. 

of  the  banana  with  avidity.     T\\<>  ciops  <.f  maize  are  grown  in 
a  year,  and  then-  i-  no  apparent  reason  why  iln<  ei  nn- 

num  can  not  be  raised  from  one  field.     Para  grass  y 
heavy  crops,  and  is  greatly  relMied  by  cattle  and  horses. 

cnness  of  the  temperature,  an  almost  unbrok 
of  sunny  days  throughout  the  greater  part  «>f  th-  »ling 

•  •s  which  blow  nearly  everyday,  freedom  from  annoyi: 
sects  and  other  disturbing  causes,  and  an  abundance  «>f ; 
in  every  part  of  the  grant,  make  this  tract  of  country  - 
even  the  most  favored  part  of  the  ranching  region  of  the  l~nit(d 
States,  where  great  fortunes  were  made  in  cattle-growing  ! 
that  country  became  overstock*  d. 

•  •n  under  the  crude  and  wasteful  method,  or  lack  of  method, 
which  has  been  common  on   the  \\e-tern   plains  of   the  1'nited 
States,  the  average  annual  increase  of  herd-  of  cattle  ha-  equalled 
50  per  cent,  of  the  number  of  breeding  cows  in  tlm-e  herd-. 
being  true  of  the  arid,  sun-scorched   and    bli//.an!  -\M  pt  5 
what  may  not  be  done  in  Honduras,  where  cold  -terms  are  never 
known,  and   where  nearly  every -quarc    league   has  *• 
pure  stream,  fed  by  mountain  springs.     On   the  northea-t  coast 
these  flow  in  gravelly  or  sand v  beds.  a<  LIU  \\here  nutri- 

tious grasses  are  always  green.     The  value  of  such  a  copjou-  sup- 
ply of    never  failing  water  i-  shown  in  strong  li.irht   by   the  enor 
iiiou-  I..-M--  cau-ed   by  want  of  water  la-t    J{ 
in  the  west- in  BUtei  red    by  all    natural    conditioi 

stock-grower   in    Hondura-    can    ea-il\     -•  i    an  'inual 

nt.  in  hi-  herd-,  and  C*O,  liy  careful  m.. 
ment,  raise  the  production  to  90  per  cent,  per  annum.  II 
should  give  nearly  as  large  a  p'  <»f  in<  -reas«  -a-  i-  nb- 

from    cattle.       <  'li    their   calves    be-idr    them,    a-    good 

CAD  be  boil Lr lit  in  H-.ndura-  ic.r  price-  raiiL'iiiir  fnnn  $i>  to  f ! 
bead;  two-year  old  i  >'"it<»  $7,  and  yearlin 

to  $4.     Tli«-  lieif'-r-  are  u-ually  thn-e  \ear-  old   before   ihey  drop 
their  :  Dg  a  herd  in  QO1 

Hondura  ;igeK  are  low  and  the  cost  of  raiimi- 


HONDURAS. 


S3 


ers  is  small,  is  only  a  fraction  of  that  of  maintaining  a  herd  of 
like  number  in  the  most  favored  parts  of  the  western  fctates  and 
Territories'. 

A  conservative  estimate  of  the  results  which  can  be  reached 
in  cattle  growing  on  this  grant  is  presented  in  the  subjoined  table. 
In  this  calculation  it  is  assumed  that  of  a  herd  of  cows  60  per 
cent,  will  each  year  produce  young  that  will  reach  marketable  age 
and  condition,  that  half  of  the  bulls  born  in  the  herd  will  be  sold 
when  three  years  old,  and  the  money  received  for  them  will  be 
paid  for  cows  to  add  to  the  herd.  In  ten  years,  1,000  cows, 
their  offspring  and  the  cows  bought  with  the  money  received  for 
the  bulls  would  produce  as  below : 


S 

+3 

OQ 

ng  cows 

g 

11s  sold. 

1 

11 

"S 

3 

o 

CO 

i 

i 

1 

£ 

3 

ji 

?! 

8         *J 

1 

1 

3 

0* 

5 

8 

6 

< 

J 

1,000 

300 

150 

$15.00 

$2,250 

225 

$10.  fO 

2 

1,000  !       300 

150 

15.00 

2,250 

225 

10.00 

3 

1,000 

300 

ISO 

15.00 

2,250 

225 

10.00 

4 

1,525 

457 

228 

20.00 

4,560 

415 

11.00 

5 

2.0*0 

615 

307 

20.  (0 

6.140 

558 

11.00 

6 

2,575 

772 

386 

20.00              7,720 

643 

12.00 

7 

3,447 

1,034 

517 

25.  CO             18,925 

1,077 

12.00 

8     ' 

4,620 

1,386 

693 

25.00             17,325 

1,238 

14.00 

9 

6,035 

1,810 

905 

30.00 

27,150 

1,810 

15.00 

10 

8,146 

2,444 

1,222 

80.CO 

36,666 

2,037 

18.00 

Totals 

8,146 

9,418 

4,708 

$25.32 

$119,230 

8,453 

$14.10 

Assuming  that  the  bulls  not  sold  to  pay  for  cows  will  be  used 
for  breeding,  or  sold  to  pay  expenses  of  the  herd,  the  account 
should  stand  as  shown  below,  at  the  end  of  the  first  ten  years. 

1,000  superannuated  cows,  original  herd,  at  $10 $  10,000 

7,146  breeding  cows,  mostly  grades,  average  value  say  $25 178,650 

2,772  grade  two-year-old  bulls  and  heifers,  at  $25 <  9,300 

3,620  high  grade  yearling  bulls  and  heifers,  at  $20 72,400 

4,888  high  grade  calves,  at  $15 73,320 

Total $413,670 


34  HONDURAS. 

The  above  estimate  allows  $119,230  to  pay  for  the  expenses  of 

tin-  lu-nl.  to  provide  bulls  of  high  breeding,  ami  toco\. 

ration  of  the  breeding  cows  for  ten  years.  ;h:m 

those  shown  can  be  realized   on  this  grant,  when-  all 

are  so  favorable,  and  no  possible  combination  of  <  tin  r  ini 

can  tax  the  producer  unduly  for  transportation,  for  .slaiiuli' 

or  for  selling  his  stock.     As  long  as  the  ocr.v 

sels  of  all  nations  there  will   be  compel  it  ii  •»   •  t.«  UL!I   t<> 

charges  down  to  reasonable  limits. 

As  no  fatal  contagious  disease  has  ever  appeared  among  the 

cf    Honduras,  the   stock-grower  can  send  hi- 
two-year-olds  and  older  unfathmd  bullocks  direct  to  ii 
of  Europe.     This  will  give  him  from  $10to  $1.~>  pcrh«  ad  m< 
his  stock  than  like  cattle  from  the  United  States  would  bring 
on  the  same  market.      This   would  in  itself  amount 
profit. 

While  it  is  tnie  that  the  raising  of  cattle  will  pay  richh 
growing  of  horses  and  mules  on  the  grant  will  p.;  All 

the  condition-  of   -oil,  configuration,  climate,  forage,  and 
graphical  location  are  most  favorable.     Horses  and  n> 
on  thoroughly  drained,  gravelly  or  rocky  soil,  particularly  i!' 
hilly  or  mountainous,  are  more  HIUM  uhir.  l.anly,  . 
ageous  than  are  those  brought  up  in  a  tlat  count  r         M     main 
horses    and     mules    are    more  highly    e-teemed  than 
from  level  lands.       Their  hoofs  and  bone-  an   \\\ 
tougher  than  those  of  it< 

form  better  developed. 

Many  of  the  horse-  of 

teristics  of  the    Arabian  MI    which   they   no    doubt    de- 

scended   tlin.i]L'li    itnima 

illier   small,  clean   of    limli.    hard   and  li....f.  and 

•IHC  spirit  and  intci 

are    .v  :    L- 1   tempered    even    under  the    i 

\\hich  h«.rsesand  mules  are  comm«.nl\  ^ubj.  end  by  the  na( 

used  for  hard  work  as  much   as  they  \\ould 


HONDURAS.  35 

have  been  had  not  mules  been  generally  preferred  for  such  ser- 
vice, yet  they  still  show  considerable  power  of  endurance.  As 
a  rule  they  are  larger  than  the  mustangs  of  the  southwest.  The 
chief  value  of  the  mares  will  be  found  in  their  use  as  foundation 
stock  from  which  to  breed  animals  of  the  Morgan  type — active,, 
bright  and  good  tempered  family  horses.  Grades  got  by  Cleve- 
land bays,  French  coach,  or  other  horses  of  like  size  and  style 
would  sell  freely  for  general  use,  and  would  beyond  a  doubt  be 
sought  for  cavalry  service,  while  the  get  by  stallions  of  the 
heavier  draft  breeds  would  be  desirable  for  artillery  and  for  team- 
ing in  cities. 

Mares  of  fair  size  and  quality  can  be  bought  in  Honduras  for 
$10  to  $12  each.  The  cost  of  establishing  and  managing  a  stud 
in  Honduras  need  not  be  nearly  as  great  as  that  of  keeping  a 
stud  of  like  numbers  in  any  part  of  the  States.  As  the  mares  are 
healthy  and  perfectly  sound,  accustomed  to  taking  caie  of  them- 
selves and  their  foals,  and  will  never  suffer  from  lack  of  food  or 
water,  nor  from  exposure  to  storms,  they  may  be  confidently  ex- 
pected to  breed  surely  and  well.  Probably  fully  seventy  five  per 
cent,  of  a  stud  of  such  mares  would  each  year  produce  foals 
which  would  sell  for  an  average  of  at  least  $75  each  v\hen  four 
years  old.  By  using  stallions  of  high  breeding  and  uniform  size, 
style  and  color,  selected  as  far  as  practicable  from  one  family,  a 
large  number  of  almost  perfectly  matched  spans  would  be  got 
each  year  from  a  stud  of  say  1,COO  such  mares  as  can  be  bought 
in  Honduras.  From  the  grade  fillies  which  would  come  of  the 
use  of  such  a  lot  of  stallions  a  large  percentage  of  the  foals  will 
match  very  closely,  and  would  bring  higher  prices  than  un- 
matched spans  would.  The  results  which  can  be  obtained  by 
proper  management  are  approximately  indicated  by  the  subjoined 
estimate,  based  on  the  assumption  ihat  of  a  stud  of  mares  sixty 
per  cent,  will  each  year  drop  foals  that  will  be  sold  at  an  average 
of  $75  each,  or  come  into  bearing  at  the  age  of  three  years.  It 
is  also  assumed  that  the  money  received  for  half  of  the  male 
get  will  be  used  in  the  purchase  of  native  mares  at  the  prices  in- 


lln\ 


dicated,  t»  be  added  t<>  the  ori'dnal  MU>.  •  the  lilli.  - 

in  the  stud  will  remain  to  brt.  injjwilh    : 

Jhis  basis,   the  following  results  should  l><  attained  in  tin-  I'M 

years: 


\ 


H 


Totals 


UMI 
UMI 
hum 


300 
300 

765 

l. '.'•;•; 
8,681 


- 
8000 

stun 


485 
BM 
MB 

l.Ml 


6,474 


r,T,.lin 
7M.IKI 
Ti'.in. 
SII.IKI 
HUH 


UkMO 

1  !«.«*» 

I.M.IKII. 


Sl-'.m 
15.00 


MUJO 


$21.74 


M 


•,941 


In  this  c-timatc  tl>e  average  price  of  nat ive  marts  has  In  en  put 
at  $21.7."),  instead  of  $12,  for  which  they  can  l.e   bouirht   now. 
This  is  tf»  make  allowance  for  any  advance  in  price  whit  i, 
come  from  the  development  of  this  branch  of  the  stock  bu- 
At  the  end  of  the  ten  years  there  will  be  on  hand,  if  not  otherwise 
«li-jK)sed  of: 

1,000 BU|>eranmiHt«d  mares  14  year 
7,364  foals.  :.il  lutrh  grades,  v 

ir-old  {trade*,  worth $75 each.  •  •• 

- 

Sales  of  Htal  lions  1  ral  America  woul.: 

apart  of   the  cost  of   -hippin;:  the  -urplus  to   foreign  ma- 
Desiring  to  improve  then  ptodc,  and  having  no  other  convenient 
source  of  supply,  the  people  there  will   buy  (juile  a  nun. 
beut  youog  stallions  in  the  -t  ml  at  fair  pi 


HONDURAS,  37 

Mules  are  always  in  demand  in  the  Southern  States,  only  four 
days'  sail  from  Caratasca.  The  larger  cities  of  the  Atlantic 
coast,  as  far  north  as  New  York  will  also  buy  large  numbers  of 
mules.  In  Central  America  mules  of  small  size  sell  freely  for 
$50  to  $100  each;  for  exceptionally  large,  fine,  and  well-trained 
animals  prices  range  as  high  as  $150  to  $300  per  head.  Such 
animals  as  may  be  gotten  from  the  native  mares  by  the  use  of 
large  and  well-bred  jacks  will  find  ready  market,  even  for  pack- 
ing, at  $75  to  $100  and  if  trained  properly  for  riding,  will  bring 
figures  above  the  highest  mentioned  here.  They  can  be  raised 
on  the  Perry  grant  at  a  very  small  cost. 

Where  nature  unaided  produces  such  a  profusion  of  food 
suitable  for  feeding  swine,  and  where  two  and  even  three  crops 
of  corn  can  be  grown  each  year,  raising  pigs  will  cost  a  merely 
nominal  sum  per  head.  In  all  parts  of  Central  America  pork 
and  lard  are  in  request  at  prices  ranging  from  12^  to  25  cents 
per  pound.  No  disease  of  epidemic  nature  has  been  known 
among  the  hogs  of  Honduras,  so  far  as  has  been  learned. 

INLAND  NAVIGATION. 

A  system  of  sounds  or  salt  water  lakes,  called  lagoons  in 
Spanish,  extends  entirely  across  the  north  line  of  the  Perry 
grant,  and  beyond  Caratasca  to  Cape  Gracias  a  Dios,  the  eastern- 
most point  of  Honduras.  Nearly  all  of  these  lakes  are  clear, 
free  from  obstructions  and  deep  enough  for  safe  navigation. 
Very  little  marsh  is  found  on  their  borders,  the  surrounding  land 
rising  at  once  from  the  water's  edge  to  a  height  of  from  one  to 
twelve  feet,  and  then  sloping  upward.  The  lowest  of  these  lands 
are  of  unsurpassed  fertility  and  value  for  the  growing  of  rice, 
sugarcane,  breadfruit,  bananas,  plantains,  cocoanuts.  yams,  cas- 
sava, sweet  potatoes,  arrowroot,  and  many  other  crops  which 
thrive  on  moist  soil.  Many  highly  prized  varieties  of  timber 
abound  on  these  low  lands,  all  of  which  are  within  easy  reach  of 
navigable  water.  Usually  these  sounds  are  separated  from  the 
sea  by  strips  of  sandy  land  varying  from  one  to  ten  miles  in 
width,  in  the  middle  of  which  there  is  generally  a  savanna  from 


38 

a  few  rods  to  a  few  miles  wide,  covered  by  grasses.     I 

of  the  coast  lands  can  be  made  t<>  yield  fruits  comm<  n  ;..  n«  pi<  al 

or    to  temperate  zones,  such  as  oranges,  lemons,  limes,  mar . 

cashew,  soursops,  papayas,  aguac  'M  !'''"•   i 

guavas.  plums  .inumds.  t:1 

vanilla  and  others,  while  ginger,  cassava,  j»! 

root,  sugarcane  and  cotton  are  urown   m<>st  successfully. 

the  use  for  which  this  sandy  land  is  best  and   for  which 

it  can  not  growing  of  c« 

First  in  the  chain  of  lagoons  is  Cape  river  lake  which  1 
tout-he-  the  western  line  of  the  grant.     This  lagoon  is  five  i 
from  east  to  west,  and  three  miles   wide.     At  its  western  end  it 
receives  part  of  the  waters  of  the  Sangrelia   river,    which 
within  100  yards  of  the  River  Sico,  and  after  flowing    north 
through  a  fertile  valley,  discharges   part  of  its  wate- 
sea  at  a  point  about  a  mile  from  Iriona,  a  port  of  entry  <  n  the 
roadstead  situated  west  of  Cape  Cameron.     <  m  the  -\t 
roadstead,  which  is  40  miles  wide,  villages  are  dotted  at  int< 
of  from  one  to  two  and  one-half  miles.    The  Sanirn 
for  ten  or  fifteen  miles  and  (  ape  river   for  nearly  as  \i\ 
tance. 

Less  than  two  miles  east  of  Cape  River  lagoon,  and  . 
with  it  by  a  narrow  channel,  is  the  end  of    La  Criha   la. 
which  |  eastward  to  the  channel  of  Black  river.  11    i 

In  relation  to  this  stream  and  the  region  through  whi<  h  it 
Squier  says: 

|{j<>  Tin''  h.n  -h..rt  .in  the  sea 

takes  t  h<- iiHMH''' 

and  to  said  to  have  a  course <»l  HU.ut  PJII  mile-,     in  .-..mini >n  with  n 
••r*orith«  M  A  tad,  variable  bar  at  Iti  m«»uti 

iter  range*,  at  ditTi-rent  seasons,  at  inimtm-  t"  nun-  r< 
veoeela  may  anocii'M  I'M;   (in  \\  ;(s  «.n  tin-  i  i\ri  -that 

:    -..mi-   M-ttli-riii-til*   ilnriiiu  Hi"  hi-' 

which  wer*  iiuitv  \\nii   tin   • 

<tedbetwe<'n    Kn^lim-l  :in<l  S|»IMI      Snl.-. -.iiii-nt  iiti. 

were  made  t«.  \<>\\\\>\  \  •  luneotetfai 

<  .i/."ju.  ••• 


HONDURAS.  39 

in  1839-41  by  an  English  company,  under  the  countenance  of  the  British 
settlement  at  Belize,  but  all  have  proved  signal  failures.  The  last  adven- 
turers named  the  district  "  Province  Victoria,"  and  made  an  unimportant 
establishment,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Fort  Wellington.  An 
account  of  this  expedition  was  written  by  Thomas  Young,  a  person  con- 
nected with  it  in  some  official  capacity,  which  conveys  considerable 
information  concerning  this  portion  of  the  coast.  He  describes  that 
portion  of  the  stream  called  Rio  Tinto  as  flowing  through  a  low,  but  rich 
and  densely- wooded  country,  which,  a  few  miles  higher  up,  becomes 
swampy,  and  covered  with  willow  trees.  At  the  point  where  a  branch  of 
the  main  stream  diverges  to  connect  with  the  Criba,  or  Black  River 
lagoon,  commences  the  savanna  and  pine-ridge  country,  where  some 
Sambos  have  a  settlement.  The  savanna  supports  a  few  cattle,  but  the 
land  is  poor,  and  unfit  for  cultivation ;  "  but,  notwithstanding  its  aridity, 
it  is  very  beautiful.  It  extends  several  miles  in  every  direction,  and 
appears  to  have  been  laid  out  by  some  landscape  gardener.  It  is  relieved 
by  clumps  of  papter  trees  and  low  shrubbery,  which  are  the  haunts  of 
many  deer.  There  are  also  great  quantities  of  lofty  pine  trees.  Some  of 
the  pine-ridges  on  this  coast  are  very  extensive,  and  are  valuable  for 
their  timber,  which  is  the  red  pitch-pine,  rich  in  turpentine.  This  tim- 
ber, from  its  length  and  straightness,  is  not  only  very  useful  for  build- 
ing, but  also  for  masts  and  spars.  In  the  pine-ridges  many  mounds  of 
earth  rise  above  the  level  surface  to  the  height  of  eight  or  ten  feet,  and 
have  broad  tops,  large  enough  for  dweilingr-houses.  Some  parts  of  the 
savanna,  however,  are  swampy,  and  are  the  nurseries  of  annoying 
insects."  Above  this  pine-ridge  the  river  is  bordered  by  a  continuous 
"  bush,"  relieved  higher  up  by  many  gracefully-bending  bamboos,  and 
the  tall  cabbage  palm,  the  crown  of  which  affords  food,  and  the  straight 
trunks,  when  split,  boards  for  native  buildings.  At  a  point  sixteen  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  English  anciently  had  an  establish- 
ment, and  here  the  sarsaparilla  and  cacao  begin  to  make  their  appear- 
ance. Near  this  point  had  been  anciently  a  coffee  plantation,  at  a  place 
called  Lowry  Hill,  and  near  by  had  been  a  sugar  estate,  the  boilers  for 
which  still  remained  at  the  time  of  Young's  visit.,  "  Thousands  of  banana 
trees,  loaded  with  fruit,  were  growing  spontaneously."  The  ground 
here  becomes  elevated,  and  the  Poyer,  or  Sugar  Loaf  Peak,  2,000  feet  high, 
shuts  off  the  view  seaward.  Up  to  the  "  Embarcadero  "  the  river  is  much 
obstructed  by  snags,  which,  even  in  small  boats,  it  is  difficult  to  avoid. 
Young  adds  that  "  the  passage  from  Fort  Wellington  to  the  Embarcadero, 
during  a  flood  in  the  river,  takes  a  pitpan,  with  six  men,  three  days  and 
a  half.  The  descent,  under  similar  circumstances,  can  be  made  in  a  day 
and  a  half."  The  Embarcadero  is  estimated  by  Roberts  (Strangeways 
following  his  authority  as  ninety  miles  from  the  sea,  but  this  is  probably 
an  over-estimate. 


40  11». \DURA8. 

The  Poyas  Indiana  have  a  number  of  settlements  among  the  i 

thesame  name,  mi  the  UPIMT  tributaries!)! 

the  land  about  th.-  r,,\.-r  hills  as  exceedingly  I. -ml.-,  ami  tin-  muntry 

healthx. 

( )f  Black  river  lagoon,  which  is  entirely  within  tin-  boundaries 
of  this  grant,  he  says: 

.kroon,  culled  Criba  by  the  Spaniards,*  Rob- 

erts, wh«.  \  isite«l  it.  i*  about  fifteen  miles  long  by  s« 
several  small  i>lamls.  whieh  were  eulti\  ate.l  MuriiiK  th- 
tion  of  Hhu-k  Kiver.     At   this   peri  -I  t:  • 

-lften-e.  whirh  wen- enlarge- 1  by  the  Spaniards  after  the  Kmrlish  evacua- 
tion, the  ruins  <>f  whirh   an-  still   r«>ii>|«iriiniis.     <  Mi   th<-  h-  i 
lagoon  are  8om»-  -a\anna>  ami  |'im--ritl>fi^.  tr«.m  which  tin- 

former  settlers  obtaiwi  ••--riM-lcrahh-  <numtitii-*  «>t   pitrh,  tar.  an-1  tur- 
pentim  . 

East  of  Black    river  and  connected   wiih   jt  and  La  C'ril-a 
lagoon  by  a  straight,  wide  and  deep  channel,  lies  Ebon  lagoon, 
ten  miles  long  and  six  wide.    On  the  south  shore  of  Ebon  lagoon 
is  a  savanna  which  stretchesaway  for  mili-s.  brokrn  by  r.(u-:i 
ocotals  from  which  long-leafed  pines  of  superior  <|ualr 
can  be  obtained.     From  the  northeastern  corm-r  of  Kbon  lagoon 
extend  a  low  place  which  is  covered  by  water  during  the  rainy 
seasons.    Between  this  low  place  and  Plantain  river  is  a  "haul- 
over"  or  portage,  about  a  mile  long.     Over  this  the  j». -i.pu-  have 
for  generations  hauled  their  boats.     When  the  streams  an- hi^h 
dories  can  pass  from  river  to  lagoon   with  little  difficulty.    Of 
Plantain    river  some  forty  "r   forty  live  miles  are  na\ 
liL'ht  draft  steamers,  and  fifteen  or  twenty   mil<»  more  are 
gated  by  pipantes.     A    lar-*-  part   of  this  di-tam-c  is   through  the 
field  of  wild  bananas  and  plantains  mentioned  on  page 

Between  Plantain    river  and  Brus  lugoon  is  a  !• 
whirl.  IW  paddled  (luring  the  season  of  hi^h  unter. 

place  is  little  more  than  a  mile  in  width.     It  I  :  that  this. 

like  the  depression  between  Plantain  river  and  Kbon  lagoon,  and 

that  li.-twrrn  the  Pat  ura  and  TilbahicCE  lake,  WBS  ODCe  a  Cbuniie] 
through  which  that  stream  discharged  part  of  its  current. 

Brus  lagoon  is  fifteen  miles  long  and  five  to  eight  wi<i.       It  .  - 


HONDURAS.  41 

comparatively  shallow,  and  part  of  its  bottom  is  covered  by  beds 
of  oysters.  From  its  shore  a  grassy  savanna  extends  to  the 
southward.  Over  this  Consul  Burchard,  General  Gross  and 
others,  including  the  government  explorers  whose  report  is  quoted 
on  page  12,  traveled  for  days  without  reaching  the  end.  The  grass 
is  good  and  might  afford  abundant  grazing  for  thousands  of 
stock,  but  the  entire  tract,  is  practically  unoccupied.  Nearly 
half  of  the  waters  of  the  Patuca  flow  into  Brus  lagoon  at  its  east- 
ern end,  through  the  broad  channel,  called  Toomtoom,  or  Tcina- 
maya,  "  the  white  lily  mouth  "  or  entrance.  Through  this  channel 
boats  of  large  size  and  drawing  two  or  three  feet  of  water  can 
have  easy  access  to  the  Patuca,  which  is  Ihe  largest  river  in  the 
Republic,  and  for  all  purposes  of  navigation  and  lumbering 
is  the  most  valuable.  Squier  describes  the  Patuca  and  the 
country  along  its  banks  as  follows  : 

The  Patook  river  (written  Patuca  by  the  Spaniards)  enters  the  sea 
by  a  principal  mouth  about  midway  between  Cartine  (also  called  by  the 
Spaniards  Brus,  and  by  the  English  Brewer's)  and  Cartago,  or  Carat- 
asca  lagoons.  It  appears  to  be  the  largest  river  on  the  entire  northern 
coast  of  Honduras,  between  the  Ulua  and  Herbias,  or  Cape  Gracias  a 
Dios  rivers.  It  takes  its  rise  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Department  of 
Olancho,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  large  Spanish  town  of  Juticalpa  (capital 
of  the  department),  and  the  great  Indian  town  of  Catacamas.  The 
principal  streams  which  unite  to  form  the  Patuca  are  the  rivers  Jalan, 
Tinto  de  Olancho,  and  the  Guyape  or  (Guallape)  and  Guallambre.  The 
two  last  named  are  celebrated  for  their  extensive  gold  washings,  to 
which  reference  is  elsewhere  made .  The  geographical  basin  in  which 
this  river  collects  its  waters  is  one  of  the  richest  and  most  beautiful  in 
all  Central  America.  It  is  separated  from  the  transverse  valley  of  the 
Rio  Herbias  or  Segovia  by  a  high,  narrow  chain  of  mountains,  steep  on 
the  south,  but  subsiding  by  terraces  toward  the  north.  Seiior  Herrera, 
in  his  report  already  alluded  to,  state?  that  the  Patuca  is  navigable  for 
canoes  as  high  as  the  junction  of  the  Jalan  with  the  Guyape.  The  river, 
however,  above  the  coast  alluvions  has  a  powerful  current  and  is  inter- 
rupted by  rapids  called  "chiflones."  At  the  mouth  of  the  Guallambre 
is  what  is  called  Puerto  de  Delon ;  below  this  point  are  numerous  "  chi- 
flones,"  the  principal  of  which  are  those  of  Campanera  and  Caoba.  At 
one  point  the  river  is  compressed  between  high,  precipitous  walls  of 
rock  for  a  long  distance .  The  place  is  called  "  Portal  del  Infierno,"  or 
Hell's  Mouth,  and  probably  gave  rise  to  the  story  recorded  by  Roberts, 


4f  HONDURAS 

"that  at  om-  part  ..1   it*  course  th«    m  •  -  way  thn-iiKh  H 

h    i-   .01,,, 
which  thus  passes  through   a  natural   arch.  a>  throng 

,.v  five  humlrr.|    \ar.U."     Thr  principal  alt!,,. 

•     lolli.wmjT,   ill    T 

•\     It-c-hiv.  MMBfe 

ii.  anil  Uin  Cpin  • 

The  principal uthof   thr  I'atu.a  ..|N-n-  .lirrcth   into  tin-  sra.  ami 

bOtatniCtod  by  a   l.a-l .  shi:-  a  whu-li   th( 

S-. m. -turn-.,  att.-r   IP 

•liclceHOhbs  an. I  tl<.w>  in  tl> 
-      Thr  land  at.oiit  tin-  mouth  oj  thr  n 
which,  bowl  nt  K'ivi-n  i 

..and    li.Mniii.  nnlikr   m-.-t   ,,f  th,-  -a\anna<  on 
•<>,  an  1  fiirtli«Tiii..r.-   ha-  a   Nark    an-i    fertj 
pine-ri.lu'r  i>  finin.l  ah,,ut  thirty  miUM  up  thr  river,  at.. 
tO  in-ar  thi-s.-a.  th.-  liank>  an-  thickly  w..o.lr,|,  ha\ 
-•lay.  iojiin.  and   black    mol.l     all  admfl 
;tivnti..n  n!  -in.-;,  ,.  in.ii^,,,  ... 

oedar,  row,  an.,  unl  ^.un.i 

throughout  the  wh,,lr  1,-nyth  ..f  th.-  river  valley,  while  thr  pine-i 
•unii-hiiiy  inrxha.iM  il.lr  qimiitit 

i:\cliivu,.  ,,(     \alu:il>l"  \v 1>.  tin-  t..r.>t-    pr,..liu-i-  aluiinla- 

sawapirillu.   In.;  ,     !|;1       Ml 

noun.'  :ia\-i»nihi«-  r..r  small  steamers M  to  the 

•  MI. -lit-  in  iilanrh...  '*0rm1   lra-t  to  thr  '• 

'.  -l.-l    Inlirni.n,  ami  that  "it  isti, 

excepting  that  of  San  .Juan  «!.-  Nicaragua,  for  nuiiiiii-n-ial 
with  th.-  Interior."     II.-.  think-  jiN...  that  an  otaMi-.hni.-nt  at  item 

iK-l    !.\   iinpr..\rinrnt-   in  tin-  ri\  >-r  ami    l.\   roa.U   in   ti 
woulil  ^<>«n  l.rcoinr  thr  ino-t  important  j-.-int  ..n  t 

Roberta  est  i.-n^th  «.r  thr  P»tuca  at  one  h 

i"  IniiKlr.Ml  mil,.. 

ofCar  ihi-Tf«OM 

ami    |'.,\a-  (OlUe 

ut  trie*. 

MMDtOOm  ,|M. 

'!«.  I. ut  will  n..t   admit 
ranb4r»WtOi  m-.n-  than  .ix  ...   .I-M-II  l.-.-t       Thrrr  ,,r  |,,Mr  mi|,..  f ,-,„„* 

-•ll-h,    HIP I      -,-.-,: 

HUH  lajroon  MI.....I..U  with   n 
ptent\  MI. I  large  bedsct 


HONDURAS.  43 

northward,"  says  Roberts,  "  is  beautifully  diversified  by  gently-rising 
hills,  valleys,  and  savannas,  and  the  soil,  generally  speaking  is  excel- 
lent." 

The  Patuca  offers  the  only  direct  and  easy  route  for  transpor- 
tation between  the  sea  and  the  richest  mines  ar.d  most  extensive 
system  of  valleys  in  Honduras.  Below  the  mouth  of  the  Guampu 
the  river  is  now  navigable  for  steamers  of  light  draft,  the  only 
obstacles  being  a  few  rocks  at  one  place,  some  snags  which  can 
be  readily  removed,  and  three  or  four  sand-bnis  mhich  htd 
twelve  to  sixteen  inches  of  water  at  the  end  of  the  last  dry  season. 
These  can  be  quickly  dug  out  or  deepened  when  required,  by 
means  with  which  every  man  familiar  with  the  management  of 
stern  wheel  steamers  is  acquainted.  These  bars  will  obstruct 
navigation  only  during  the  lowest  stage  of  water.  Three  or 
four  hours  work  and  a  few  dynamite  cartridges  will  suffice  for  the 
removal  of  all  the  rocks  in  the  way .  Not  far  above  the  Guampu 
the  current  of  the  Patuca  is  broken  by  the  Caoba  rapids,  acd  be- 
yond those  it  is  interrupted  by  falls  at  the  Campanero,  at  Puerto 
del  Infierno  and  at  Puerto  de  Delon,  the  last  two  practically  im- 
passable. 

About  twenty  four  miles  south  from  the  coast  the  Patuca 
approaches  within  five  miles  of  Tilbalacca  lagcon,  which  con- 
nects by  a  wide  channel  with  Gauranta  lagoon,  and  this  in  its 
turn  with  Caratasca  lake.  From  the  southwestern  corner  of  Til- 
balacca a  bayou  extends  toward  the  Patuca,  and  from  the  latter 
what  seems  to  have  once  been  the  bed  of  the  river  reaches  out 
toward  the  bayou.  It  is  generally  believed  by  those  acquainted 
with  the  locality  that  the  Patuca  once  flowed  into  Tilbalacca.  It 
is  currently  reported  that  when  the  river  is  high  the  natives  pad- 
dle their  canoes  across  this  place  from  river  to  lagoon. 

Tibacunta  Creek  enters  the  sea  about  thirty-two  miles  to  the 
westward  of  the  entrance  of  Caratasca.  It  may  serve  to  carry 
away  some  of  the  high  water  in  the  rainy  season  but  in  ordinary 
stages  of  water  it  will  do  little  if  any  more  than  furnish  a  conven- 
ient way  by  which  tracts  of  fruit  land  s  may  be  reached  by  boats. 


44  HONDl 

r  said  nf  Oaratasca,  sonu-  forty  years  a.ir«>.  wh.it  is  essentially 
true  today,  t! 

ai-tapM  lay 

in  breadth,  and  having,. in  a  th.-app.-ai-am-r 

ruiiniii»riiitora«-h  other,  in  various  ilin-.-tion,.  |.,r  the  • 
1"  lt"  8  mil*-  in  l.rea.lfh." 

'tie  a   -in:'  :•••!    ••Til.aeimta."     Tl 

•oof 

lago.  ated  at  about  U  lie*  in  length. 

(•art  shallow,    \.ir\niir  in  depth,  from 

nun,  wh..  visit, -.1  it  in  isu. 

-    MilMivillav- 
;"'ii;.  •.-i«liTal.l«-.-M.-rit.  ti.niiinu  :m  t-ntir.- |.-\.-l  ,,f  mil 

v«-r«iur»-anii  fin«-.i  pan  lt, .]  on  one  aide  bj  tbe  waters  of  UM 

lagoon,  ami  «.n  th«-  otli.-r  l...iin<lc<J  by  jrcntly  ri-iiiirhilK     Tl,. 
pint-  ami   «.th«-r   lofty  tn-t->.    int.-rp.-i  ~. -.1  at  |.|«-a*jM..-  .!  - 

•-i  th.-a|.|..  iiti\at«-.i  art,  ai 

ui.-t  a^r«-.-abl«-  n-li.-l  tO  th.-  -:,i;t!l  StreftH 

th«-  la>f«in  In. in  tin-  south. vi/.:  Il-.-nt.: 

Kaukari.     It  bus  al-..  tin-.-.-  ,  -,  .n-i.l.-i-nhl.-  i>laii.U.     Th.  • 

of  villajfes  of  Sambos  an.  un-l  this  iair""ii.  who  rai-  n],-.  hut  .in 

not  ,-ultivat<-  th.-  soil  to  aiiv  extent,  \ .fin* grossly  imloli-nt  an-l  in,; 

•  k-iit.     "Tin-  IHIII!  in  tin-  vii-inity  ot   th.-  laK<-«'ii."  an-onlin^  ' 

••Mtin-ly  01  uxl   ln-antit'iil  sivainias  .-. 

with    th«-  thirst    itastiiniKi',  atnl   al»onii<lin»f  in    .l.-.-r  an«l   ot 
Then-  MIL- trees  at  Cnita.  >.ut  mi  th.-  ..,,,„,.  .,  .„!,'. 

.r.-ri.U.-»frowiiUr  tiiiili«-r   a<   lar>r.-  as  any   onth.-  OOMt      !!•  lun-l 

:i:«san-l,oiin,U..n,y   hilK  whos,-  sin. in, 

ered  by  the  most  In  v.i  riant    v.-^.-tation.     (»„  th.-  hanks  of  th. 
th«-  n  i-  ,-\r,-]|,-nt    inaho«aii\.ai 

an-1  larjfest  size.     Pimento  an<l  \ •ariousoth. -r  xalualilr  plant- 

digenoua/' 

Caratasca,  half  inclosed  by  the  grant,  is  as  jx-rfc. -tly   : 
locked,  quiet  and  comiiMMlious  a  harbor  as 
the  vessels  that  can  ever  l»-  rcMuin-(l  for  fully  MiriB| 

••iiiiiry  naturally  tributary  to  th<     !  ;]]«.y. 

It  is  separatr.l  from  the  n-a  by  long  spits  which  an 
but  at  a  point  about  live  mil. -s  \\<st  of  tlif  «ntr;i 
area  of  clay  which  rises  from  six  to  t. 

Offers   an   excellent     -ite     for    wan-h«.u-e.s    and    other    buil.: 
required   for  transportation   business.     On   the  shoales1 


HONDURAS.  '45 

the  channel  connecting  the  lake  with  the  ocean  there  are  fifteen 
feet  of  water  at  low  tide.  A  few  hundred  feet  from  the  beach, 
and  a  little  to  the  westward  of  the  center  line  of  the  channel,  is  a 
small  key  which  perfectly  protects  the  entrance  to  the  channel 
from  the  waves  caused  by  northerly  winds.  For  one  hundred 
miles  off  the  entrance  the  water  is  only  ten  to  thirty  fathoms 
deep.  Vessels  can  not  only  enter  there  for  cargo  at  any  time, 
but  they  can  find  protection  there  from  heavy  gales.  Any  craft 
finding  difficulty  or  danger  in  entering,  or  any  driven  to  leeward 
of  the  entrance  in  a  northerly  gale,  could  find  a  perfectly  safe  lee 
and  good  anchorage  in  five  to  ten  fathoms  under  Cape  Gracias, 
only  forty  miles  to  the  southeast.  These  and  other  facts  war- 
rant the  claim  that  Caratasca  is  the  best  harbor  on  the  whole 
north  and  east  coast  of  Central  America.  It  forms  a  beginning 
for  the  system  of  inland  navigation  which  gives  command  of 
every  part  of  this  grant,  and  offers  gateways  over  which  heavy 
machinery,  tools  and  other  things  required  in  the  gold  and  silver 
bearing  districts  of  the  Republic  may  be  carried  safely,  quickly 
and  cheaply,  and  the  fine  woods  and  other  products  of  the  coun- 
try brought  out. 

To  make  this  natural  system  of  inland  navigation  most  useful 
the  lagoons  and  rivers  must  be  connected  by  cutting  canals 
through  the  few  and  narrow  places  where  they  are  now  separated. 
Two  miles  of  canal  will  connect  Sangrelia  river,  Cape  river  and 
lagoon,  Black  river  and  Ebon  lagoon.  Four  miles  more  cf  canal 
will  connect  Ebon  lagoon,  Plantaia  river,  Brus  lagoon  Tomamaya 
river  and  the  Patuca.  It  is  asserted  by  those  who  have  long  been 
acquainted  with  this  locality  that  a  few  hundred  yards  of  cutting 
will  suffice  to  open  a  good  channel  from  the  Patuca  to  Tilbalacca 
lagoon.  Assuming  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  dig  three  miles  of 
canal  there,  it  follows  that,  by  making  nine  or  ten  miles  of  canal 
through  low  land,  entirely  free  from  rock  and  largely  in  sand  and 
alluvial  deposits,  between  250  and  350  miles  of  perfectly  safe  river 
lagoon  and  navigation  will  be  connected  with  Caratasca  harbor  and 
the  sea.  This  will  give  to  fruit  growers  and  others  who  may  settle 


4S  HONDLl 

on  any  of  the  hundreds  of  s,,uare  miles  of  rich  land  around 
lakes  oralong  the  banks  of  these  rivers,  easy  and  cheap  transpor 
Ution  to  market,  and   frequent   communication  with    I] 
world.    Such    canals   w  ill  undoubted! y   he  made  within  th< 
three  years,    perhaps    within    the    next     twelvemonti. 
American  H«>ndura-  Corn; 

A  good  wagon  road  from  the  head  of  navigation  of  the  i'atuca 
t.)  tli«-  valley  of  Juticalpa,  and  along  that  valley  to  the  raj  ; 
the  Department  of  Olancho  would  do  mere  than  all  other  . 
combined  have  done  for  the  development   of  mitral  and  «•:. 
Honduras.     For  carrying  goods  fr<>m  this  city  to  the  coast   the 
<  haru-e  is  71;  rents  |*-r  pound,  or  $150  per  ton;  nor  <an  the  mule 
teers  do  the  work  for  less  without  losing   mon. 
quence  is  that  the  valleys  ami  hillsides  where  sugar,  <•« 
and  other  products  wanted  in  foreign  mark. 
witli  a  minimum  outlay,  are  neglected.     The  cost    of  trai; 
tion  to  market  leaves    nothing  for  the  producer,  and  he  h 
enough  to  do  nothing  for  nothing  rather  than  work  for  no: 
At    Juticalpa    the    (Juayape,   the    Jalun.    and     the     I 
meet  t  >  form  th  •  Paturi.  which  the  <  i'l-iyambre  joins  a 
away.     Each  of  these  rivers  rises  in  a  rich  gold  or  i 
ducing  region,  where  minex  an  not  r:.-w  1  e  j  K  t:t.-.lil\  cp«D< 
worked.  Because  the  ditticulty— practically  the  impo.-sihilit' 
introdiiringsuch  machinery  as  N  BeCCtMry  ?  .1    mining 

nts.     All  of  these  rivers  How   through    val!-  il    of 

which  is  rich,  yieldini:  n-.M   ahundanlly    when    lilhd;  l.ut 

ir.dtli   part   i-  culti\ 

>r  the  city  of   Jutiralf.a  the  river  Telira   .-liters  the    1'ati. 
after  draining  the  valley  of  Maiit...  famed  for  it-  eXCelfc 
and  hor^ev    it^  jirod..  [|  ..,,„!  ,  ,,tTee  plant.-, • 

its  gold,  silver  and  < 

forty  mi],  .nd  from  :. 

rich   in   - 

iwKof  inhaliit::  It  is  ,,f  these  'mountain 

valleysthat  < 'f,r)sM]  i',ur(  i,  f|M.   ri(,r,j 


HONDURAS.  47 

can,  by  a  minimum  of  labor,  provide  for  himself  the  comforts 
and  luxuries  of  both  tropical  and  temperate  zones."  Here  is  that 
land  which  may  well  be  destined  to  become  the  home  of  that  high 
degree  of  civilization  which  "  is  possible  only  where  the  possession 
of  plants  that  yield  abundant  food  for  a  moderate  outlay  of  labor, 
allows,  with  due  toil  and  foresight,  a  large  degree  of  leisure  and 
relief  from  intent  anxiety." 

The  opening  and  maintenance  of  a  route  from  the  interior  to 
the  ocean  will  make  possible  the  full  development  of  this  cool 
and  healthful  country.  New  mines  will  be  opened  and  old  ones 
will  be  worked  more  extensively  than  ever  before.  Food  will  be 
needed  for  their  laborers,  and  intelligent  agriculture  will  be  stim- 
ulated to  supply  the  home  demand.  The  opening  of  a  route  over 
which  the  products  of  farms  can  be  cheaply  carried  to  market 
will  further  encourage  farming.  All  this  will  give  employment 
and  good  wages  to  thousands  who  now  earn  but  a  scant  subsistance 
in  a  country  where  a  living  need  cost  but  a  fraction  of  the  sum 
required  to  support  a  person  in  the  northern  States.  New  enter- 
prises of  various  kinds  will  be  called  into  activity  and  old  ones 
will  be  so  quickened  into  new  life  that  Juticalpa  will  resume  the 
position  she  long  held  as  the  commercial  center  of  all  these  min- 
eral districts  and  fertile  valleys.  All  the  suiplus  products  of  the 
surrounding  forests,  mines  and  farms  will  flow  to  Juticalpa,  for 
transportation  to  the  markets  of  the  outer  world,  and  in  return 
will  be  brought  comforts  and  luxuries  now  beyond  the  reach  of 

the  people. 

LABORERS. 

In  reply  to  queries  relating  to  the  number  and  character  of 
laborers  to  be  found  in  the  region  of  this  grant,  an  ex-governor 
of  Mosquitia  whose  statements  have  before  been  quoted  in  these 
pages,  says: 

The  Province  of  Mosquitia  (now  called  Colon)  contains  four  kinds  of 
laborers.  First,  the  Caribs,  who  are  without  doubt  the  most  hardy, 
industrious,  and  reliable.  In  strength  and  endurance  they  will  compare 
favorably  with  the  southern  negro  or  the  northern  lumberman.  They  all 
speak  English,  and  constitute  a  very  important  element  in  the  mahog- 
any works  and  sugar  plantations  of  British  Honduras. 


UO.MH  . 

The  Sambo  or  M«..s,,,,it..  in.iian  n 
aomereape,  i-  to  him  aa  a  lab  ret      Bin  strength  :u..i  ,.. 

*   but   In-  \a   more  obedient  ... 
nptojer  a>  i,,,  mas,,.,,  !IM,I  *iv,-s  hi,,,  ti.,-  homaj 
women  and  children  a 

-l.-r  .-,,!,,  n,lk,,,,,nKh, 


i'laiitain  river,  ami  IN.|U-,.,.I,  th,. 
i,  win,  h  would  aboforniah  a  ^H,,I  ,„„„»„.,.  ,,,  m( 

!'l".Vf,|  th.-m.    and    f,,,,mi    tli.Mii 

extremely  docile,  ..j,,.,i,,.m.  ai,.i  in,iijMri.,u>.    TI,. 

•rked  in  g*nga  by  themsel 

h;"^'  Plantain  river  th- 

DM   la^t   ...Ml    most    iuiiii,-r.,.i^i,,  th,.  liM   ,,t    .,  „ 

-r  ,K.on«f  the  Interior,  who  tothemosl  iotellii  .,„„!) 

orperhapa  six  months,  and  win   | 
u.  his  power  t«,  ^tin  th.-  confidence  and  esteem  ol  bie 
•Imandintontkmftretocel  In  debt  wdeej 

[amhappj  to  gay  that  there  are  manj  worth]  . 

npa'and  Mien  can.  i.>  th,- 
work  when  th,-,: 

;:;;IM";UT"""-(  H;  -.-,;>  win  .,:,;. 

n..-..ir.v..,..i,,:liliillir  a  «,fii,i,.IIf  „„„„„.,.  ,,rh,h  ,„,.,..  :,i  priocanmctof 

from  $5to$12a  iiuuith. 

|'I;K  i  -    ,ii-    i.  \M,. 

pui.lislM-d  last  M.-irri..  in,-  governroent  -f  i: 
duras  fixed  the  fcllcuin-  pnY<s  for  nati 
•ken  iDoiintain  |MM,i 

forfMiningorMmWeUDdi,  raiteble  foi 

-ria.    f,,r   land^   ..n    il,,-   ha.iks  ,,f  nav 

inland  cfcftooeli  or  tbc  ,r  rmllwaj 

K)percai.:,li.-ria.     In  OM  ol  hi*  recent  report 

cabalh-ria  i-.  c<jUa)  • 

IMI     OO1  I.IINMI    N  I     SM,   ,|.    ,-,, 

-".','  rniiM-nt  .,f  I  |,,M.|  ur:.*  is  re|ml,]i,-an  in  f.,rin.  its  r<), 
•  to 

i-'.'iuranean  fret-.].,,,,  t,,  ,,,-,,i,.,s  , 


HONDURAS.  4» 

privately  and  publicly  the  religion  he  desires.  The  Government 
acknowledges  no  Stete  religion.  There  is  no  censorship  over  the  press. 
Everyone  can  follow  the  profession  or  industry  he  chooses,  and  may  go 
from  one  republic  to  the  other  without  passports.  One  may  dispose  of 
his  property  as  he  sees  fit.  The  constitution  grants  no  privileges  of  caste. 
Before  the  law  all  are  equal.  All  citizens,  except  criminals,  may  fill 
public  posts .  Both  natives  and  foreigners  are  equal  before  the  civil 
law. 

One  year's  residence  in  Honduras  entitles  foreigners  to  naturaliza- 
tion, to-wit:  Colonists  who  occupy  lands  in  Indian  neighborhoods,  or  in 
unsettled  districts ;  all  who  inaugurate  important  works  of  general  util- 
ity ;  those  who  bring  fortunes  into  the  country ;  all  who  introduce  useful 
inventions  into  the  Republic,  and  all  who  procure  naturalization 
papers  from  the  proper  authorities. 

.  All  Honduraneans,  both  natives  and  naturalized  foreigners,  who 
have  professions,  income,  means  of  support  or  property ;  and  all  natives 
or  naturalized  foreigners  of  the  age  of  18  who  are  mai  ried,  and  who  can 
read  and  write  are  citizens  at  the  age  of  21. 

The  constitution  guarantees  all  Honduraneans  individual  equality 
and  security  of  life  and  property. 

The  constitution  guarantees  the  right  of  habeas  corpus.  The  privi- 
lege of  self-defense  is  inviolable.  Torture  is  abolished  forever.  Precau- 
tions and  restrictions  that  are  not  absolutely  necessary  for  the  security 
of  prisoners  are  prohibited. 

The  domestic  hearth,  correspondence  (epistolary),  telegraphic  mes- 
sages, private  papers  and  books  used  in  commerce  are  inviolable. 

No  inhabitant  shall  be  molested  for  the  expression  of  his  opinions, 
no  matter  of  what  nature  they  may  be,  if  such  opinions  infringe  no  law; 
nor  for  any  act  that  does  not  disturb  the  public  peace. 

Police  regulations  are  exercised  solely  by  the  civil  authorities. 

No  one  may  be  deprived  of  his  property  except  by  course  of  law  or 
by  sentence  of  law.  Condemnation  for  public  benefit  must  be  certified 
by  law,  or  by  sentence  founded  in  law :  but  in  no  case  without  indemni- 
fication. Confiscation  is  abolished  forever. 

Each  author  or  inventor  has  the  sole  right  to  his  work  or  invention. 

No  foreigner  shall  be  entitled  to  more  privileges  than  any  other;  but 
all  possess  the  same  civil  rights  as  native  Honduraneans.  Foreigners 
may,  in  consequence,  buy,  sell,  locate,  exercise  arts  and  professions, 
possess  all  kinds  of  property  and  dispose  of  it  in  the  form  prescribed  by 
law;  enter  the  country  and  leave  it  with  their  property,  and  frequent 
with  their  ships  the  ports  and  navigate  the  rivers  of  the  Republic.  They 
are  exempt  from  extraordinary  contributions  and  are  guaranteed  entire 
liberty  in  commerce,  and  may  construct  temples  and  churches  or  estab- 
lish cemeteries  in  any  part  of  the  Republic.  Their  marriage  contracts 


60 

shall  n«>t  !•«•  in\a,i.|;it«"l.  it  not  in  roiit,,rii:ity  with  <-.-i •<  us  be- 

if   they  ha\.     l>ei-ii   !••«•:«  1 1. v    ••.•l.-Nnit«-<l.     Th.-y    an-   not   uhli. 

become  naturaii/e.i.    They  m.i\  rote  for  public  ofBon,  aooonlliiff  t 

wlm-h  ill  no  ru><  :..'iii  <>n  a< -i-ount  ot   their  origin. 

The    President    is  tJeiierai    I. ui^  Boirran.  lineal 
an  ancient  noble  Norman  family.     For  man;. 
recognized  as  leader  in  the  work  of  prmnotin. 
and  political  welfare  of  his  country.     To  thi-  end  he  has  la 
^ntlyand  earnestly  for  the  development  of  tl.e  n^ric  ul: 
Hondiiras,  showing  tirm  belief  in  the  prinriple  JIT: 

.    the   ministerial    newspaper,  when,    ^peaking   c' 
Perry  grant,    it   said      "Development   of    :  .liural  and 

mineral  resources  is  the   safest,  surest  and    most     peinun 
beneficial  of  all  means  for  increasing  the  prosperity.  w«-:dtl 
power  of  a  nation.     Kerogni/ini;  this  truth  it  N  tlie  policy  of  the 
government  of   Honduras  to  encourage  !>\  ,H  jig 

-the  jHjaceful  cultivation  of  the  fertile  soil  of  this  Hej  ublic. 
The  government  has  repeatedly  declared  that  it  •  take-  the  agri- 
cultural  industry  under  its  especial  care.'  " 

<  >f  all  the  many  mininirand  <»thei  grants  made  li\  II'  i 
one  has  been  ignored,  violated  or  set  aside  by  the  -;..ven 
on  the  other  hand,  the  govrrmwiit    ha-  rej .«  at<  ii, 

illowed  for  i>erformaiice  Iry  the  ^rant«  , 

and  has  renewed  contracts  which  had  1><  fail- 

ure of  the  contractors  to  do  their  work       .\ 

i  illy  favored  ever  since  the  negotiations  between  the  I'niud 
States  and  Great  Britain,  in  1>.V_».  re-u!t»d  in  the  relin.|uislirnent 
by  Knuland  of  all  claim  to  lenilory  belonuiiiLT  i«-  H<>n<! 

I'nder  tin-  a  lmini-t  rat  ion  of  President  Ho- ran  the  public  debt 
•I.   public  ;l,,.jr 

li  arts  are  .1  and  div 

.ml    disturl-.mce  of  the   publi.  In 

M    land,  and  in  -s  of  society,  the  careful 

f)ds  one  uniform  sentiment  of  contentment  \\iih- 
ing  conditions  and  i :  ..f  irnpr<»vement   tiny-; 

lower  never  in  :  •,  i,jeh 


HONDURAS.  51 

the  men  may  be  dragged  into  military  service.  The  higher 
orders  are  all  engaged  directly  or  indirectly  in  business,  usually 
in  trade,  and  are  wise  enough  to  see  that  disastrous  loss  to  them- 
selves is  sure  to  result  from  anything  which  seriously  deranges 
public  affairs,  therefore  the  influence  of  the  leading  classes  is 
firmly  against  all  disorder.  Many  years  have  passed  since  this 
Republic  was  the  scene  of  even  an  attempt  at  rebellion, and  the  fate 
of  all  filibustering  schemes  of  recent  years  shows  conclusively 
that  the  people,  as  individuals,  are  as  deteimiced  as  the  govern- 
ment is  to  promptly  put  down  all  such  attempts  to  disturb  the 
peace.  This  feeling  will  increase  in  strength  as  the  masses  realize 
more  clearly  than  they  do  now,  that  nothing  but  evil  results  from 
unlawful  acts  directed  against  the  legitimate  government. 

PUBLIC  OPINION. 

As  tending  to  show  the  popular  feeling  in  Honduras  toward 
the  enterprise  of  the  American-Honduras  Company,  the  subjoined 
articles  are  quoted  from  the  newspapers  published  in  Tegucigalpa, 
the  national  capital  of  the  Republic.  The  first  is  from  La  Nation 
of  March  23,  1888: 

Two  years  ago  capitalists  in  the  United  States  were  considering  the 
project  of  establ'shing  the  business  of  canning  beef  in  Honduras.  Want- 
ing full,  acurate  and  trustworthy  information  about  the  Republic,  its 
cattle  and  its  capacity  for  producing  beeves,  these  capitalists  induced 
an  agent  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  to  make  an 
examination  of  Honduras  and  its  resources.  That  gentleman,  for 
years  widely  known  as  an  expert  in  affairs  relating  to  live-stock  inter- 
ests, made  a  thorough  study  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  this  coun- 
try. His  report  was  very  favorable,  and  the  capitalists  determined  to 
engage  in  the  business  of  canning  beef  here ;  but  since  that  report  was 
made  prices  of  cattle  have  been  so  very  low  in  the  United  States  that 
loeef  could  be  canned  there  almost  as  cheaply  as  it  could  be  canned  here. 
Yet  a  factory  would  have  been  put  into  operation  here,  despite  that 
unfavorable  circumstance,  if  strikes  among  the  laborers  in  Chicago  had 
not  discouraged  new  enterprises. 

The  agent  referred  to  above,  Mr.  E.  W.  Perry,  of  Chicago,  was  very 
strongly  impressed  in  favor  of  Honduras,  his  years  of  study  of  the  agri- 
culture of  different  countries  enabling  h'm  to  estimate  at  their  true 
value  the  opportunities  offered  by  the  until'ed  valleys  and  hills  of  Hon- 


dura-  ,t  hruppii- 

.:«!>'••  tra.-t  -.1  lai:.|  in  a    liule-kn..wn  p 
tftm.-nt  i.t  OakM  !  tin-  :i|.|.| 

ill\  <tiKli«-.l  in  nv.in!    t<.   U|  n  Hi.-  nit. T.-SK    n 

:  leot  the  Republics  as  well  a>  in  Iti 

i-m-r  tit"  th.  M!  ..f  r.,1,,11  :m,|  ,,|  th. 

III.-  K.'pilhlir  wen-  .Inly  OOI 

.neal.-nlal.ji-  I  ,.-ii. -in   r»  the  ; 

rijfitlly  m-i-t.-.l  n  pun.  a  ml  stipulations  fully  pr..t.-etm>r  an. I  ffu 
all  totally  acquired  rights  ol  th<- Indian-  and  ..n 

•'K'r.-.-.l  it) l.et..n-  th.-  «,<.vrnment 

tyimj  th*  «-..nt  met. 

•n  re.vi-iv.I  l.y  th,-  aim. -t  uninti;.' 

IH-S,-..     Only  a  few  uil-1  In.lian- hti\  .•  II..IIH-*  th.-r.-.  an.l  t.,  th.  m  th.- 
decree  secures  all  th-irl.^al  lix-lit-.      In    earryintr  ..ut  i 

•\i-rnim-rit  Mr.  I'erry.  nrxl  tli-.<»  \vh..  may  I..  !,jm. 

will  n.-e.l  the  lal  I  mlian-.  an. I  ut  inany  ,,th. 

payment  for  this  labor  mo*  I-HIIL-  t«.  an.l  .ii>tn».ute  m  tin-  e,,mitr\  a 

'    ani< .nut  «i  eapitdl. 

The  lan.|-.o\,-n.,l  |,\   tin-  oonfa  i.-u^rht  an, 

l«  help  p:iy  tin-  neres-., 

'•"iitrary.  tX  of  :iiin<.\  an.-.-.  e.,nt n,\  er-y  an<l  \ 

•Mplie:iti..n<.     I'nti;    1-Mithi-y  wen-  rlaime'l  I 

am!  ii.  rs  b]  the  neighboring  friendly  Bepubii. 

rn-ler   th.-   •mulitii.ii..   <.f     tin-  e..nt  r:i.-t    wi?: 

,iiii-kly  Infill    t..  h.-l|i  th.    :  I  H..n<lni  . 

deman.1-    that    M    lar-.-   ,-attle   estate   .-hall    I..-  .-t.(Mi>li.-.l  .,ri  th.- 
ill  neeessanh   iniiki- a  li»m«-  market  l.r   Hoinliini- 
.itr.Mi    r., a« I   shall    IM-   iiia-h-  an.l  n.. 
.in.- e..n-tnirt.-<l. -awmill-.  •  ,t  h.-r  t  hm-  .v,th- 

:u.  nt  <>l   ti  .  tin-  i;.-pi,' 

Tin.  r.-nt  that  this  i-  the   m.,-i   n, 

:na«li-   l.\    tin-   w"\« -111111. 'lit.    t..i  th.-  I.IH-IX.M    ..(     pr.iiiii.tiny  ii  • 

Mth  uhi.-i, 

ra§  in  -  It   mii-t  l,rin*r  int«  an>l  <l. 

:IMIII-IIM-   a>  |  am.  nnl  . 

'     ||   Illipnvsil  .(,,„„ 

thn.uifh    tlli^  a^i 

••I  >><•  put  aboard  a«hi|>  BO 

land  and  all   entateam  ibed  «n  it 

part  ol   th.    > 

M-r-oii,l   ;r  ,;,,.r 

printed  in  £ogli.-li   in  Tegucigalpa,  and  «lit<d   l.v  n   L 


HONDURAS.  53 

who  has  for  years  held  the  position  of  government  geologist.  He 
says: 

The  government  has  just  concluded  a  contract  with  Mr.  E.  W.  Perry, 
of  Chicago,  under  which  he  gets  a  tract  of  lands  in  the  department  of 
Colon,  on  condition  that  he  shall  open  up" in  that  department  lumber, 
stock-growing  and  agricultural  enterprises  on  a  large  scale.  This  is  a 
wise  step  in  that  direction,  as  it  will  make  that  hitherto  unprofitable  eec- 
tion  one  of  the  richest  farming  regions  in  this  or  any  other  country.  It 
is  a  section  susceptible  of  the  very  highest  culture.  Bananas,  plantains 
and  other  fruits  grow  spontaneously,  showing  that  they  only  need  a  little 
care  of  man  to  turn  th'em  into  rich  sources  of  wealth.  Apart  from  this, 
the  land  is  abundantly  watered  with  healthful  streams,  and  covered  the 
year  round  with  native,  succulent  grasses,  making  it  a  very  paradise  for 
cattle  and  horses,  and  with  no  freezes  or  storms  of  winter  to  disturb  them. 
Besides  much  of  the  land  is  fertile  and  capable  of  producing  the  maxi- 
mum amount  of  all  kinds  of  agricultural  products.  Bordering  on  the 
ocean,  there  is  no  necessity  for  a  railroad,  which  circumstance  undoubt- 
edly gives  it  a  further  advantage,  as  railroads  too  often  take  to  them- 
selves the  best  profits  of  enterprises,  leaving  the  producers  on?yjust 
enough  to  encourage  them  to  work  on.  But  this  needs  no  railroads  to 
connect  it  with  the  highest  markets  of  the  world.  The  broad  Atlantic 
touches  it  and  invites  to  its  shores  the  competing  demands  of  the  whole 
of  Europe  and  America. 

These  advantages  assure  the  early  and  complete  success  of  this  new 
enterprise ;  and  this  success  means  much  for  Honduras.  It  will  con- 
vince the  world  that  there  are  other  resources  than  mines  here,  most 
richly  deserving  the  cultivation  of  outsiders.  It  will  draw  to  us  the 
attention  of  a  substantial  class  of  capitalists.  It  will  bring  about  a 
diversity  of  industries,  pursuits,  and  interests,  without  which  this  coun- 
try can  never  prosper  as  it  should.  And  in  this  respect  it  will  be  worth 
far  more  to  Honduras  than  any  price  that  could  have  been  paid  for  the 
land.  It  is  a  building  up  of  waste  places— a  planting  of  a  garden  in  a 
wilderness,  not  to  be  shipped  away  to  enrich  other  lands,  but  to  remain 
forever  as  a  part  and  parcel  of  Honduras. 

Agriculture  is  the  basis  and  supporter  of  all  other  pursuits.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  building  up  of  the  agricultural  wealth  of  a  country 
insures  its  most  lasting  good.  California  was  a  howling,  dreary  wilder- 
ness, but  the  gold-hunters  of  '49  discovered  to  the  world  its  varied 
resources,  and  now  we  see  it  not  broken  and  torn  all  over  by  the  relent- 
less tools  of  the  miner,  but  dressed  and  smiling  with  richest  fruits  and 
sweet-scented  fields— a  veritable  garden  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  So 
mote  it  be  with  Honduras,  and  God  speed  the  day. 

In  its  issue  of  April  7,  La  Republica,  the  ministerial  paper, 


64  HONDUl 

tliuv  outlined  the  poli,  v  of  the   imtirnal  <;,.-. 

to  the  development   of  .•i.irrirultiirr,  and  especially   in  rrpird  to 

the  Perry  grant: 

Development  of  it-  au'n.-ultnral  and  inim-ial  n -sources  is  the  Hafwt, 
surest  and  most  p<-rnian.-ntly  U-m-tn.-iai  of  H)|  m.-an<  f.,r  in. 
prosperity, wealth  nn<l  ].«•«•« T..I  :,  n,(- 

-Mb  lishrd    policy  ..f   til.-  >fo\«-riimi-llt  i.f    ||.. i. 

MH-ans  In  Its  power  the  peaceful  cultivation  ol  tin- t. 

this   Kepublj.-        Tl)«    ;ro  MTIIIlli  -lit    Illlx    ri-|M-at.-,lly    . I, •«•';, r-  -I   tl: 

tin-  a^rinilf  ural  iii<liistry  nmlcr  its  «-s|» 

TolH-al.U-to  siuvrs-tullx  «.,,„,  ,fc  w,th  : 

taMfimred teate.lt to neceasary  that  the  people  oi  thisooui 

it'l"i'!  Bt,    th«-  nn-th.-.N  ||,IW  v,,    pr<.iitaM\   t, 

in  agric-ulturt-  in  thog<-  ,,thcr  lair's.    Th<-  ri»r«'r>  ..f  a  Clio 

tt:..,,<an.ls    iiii.l  peoplr  by   hiiiuln-<]s   p.-ri>h 
EU  mop-  iMt«-i!M-  than  is.-v.-r  1.  It  in  H..,,,!,,,-;, 
siiiniiM-r.   luiv.-.-nnipelU-d    pt-.,p|,.   th.-r.'t..  iin.M.t  man;. 
tttlf  atertC  n-lurn  for  their  lal.nr.     Th.-y  liavr  in\  .-nt.-.I  nia.-liin,  i 
can  do  .jui.-kly  and   well  all    the  work  now  done   r,y  han-t   > 
have  <l.-vHop,-,l    tn-t>.  plant-,  and    fruits  imu-h  -iip,-r;. 
N  i)  in  Honduras  and  I 

•  ml  otli.T  ili.im-stirati-il  an 
qual.ty.  and  vain,-.     Tin-    refill    [S  that  th.-  Tnit, 

rtend  ot  th.-  North,  bai  nation  BO  n.-h  that  it 

itetreitMiry  hiin.in-.u  ,,f  mflJiotw  of  dollari  for  which  it  bai 

il  t>'at  alloth.-r  natio,,., ,1,-a.ih  . 
and  an-  .-an-ful  to  not  i-nc-p.a.-h  up..n  it-  ri»rht-. 

-  throujrh  th.-  adoption  ,,t    ini|,ro\«-d  s\sti-in>  of  airririiltur. 
-   ..t    th.-  Spanish  .Vmi-riean  .  ountri,-s,  n 
I  naturally  rich.-r  part  ..t  tl  '.d.aresoi  i 

th    and   pou.r.      h    u,||   I,,.    |,v    tl 
Wesiod  above  all  others  in  tl  »  ami  mild;  , 

'ituln.-ss.  inal.undaiM,-  ;,nd  purn 
flUpply.  in  l.-rtiiit-  -,,1  ;n  K'-"»ria|.hi.-al  1.-- 

Hie  KI-I.II).: 
ern    h. 

iiniiK  ot    tl, 

ful  ronti-iil.  the  y.-i.-niMi.  Dt 
•  d   upon  tl-  ,,J   th.-p,-op|,-oj    U-M, 

'"I  •"  -  to  niiik.-  tlii-irhi.iii.-N  on  and  nip 

'       <  in/.  ,,- 
toed  the  unmount  „]!  riKhtaand  r, 


HONDURAS.  55 

by  the  citizens  of  Honduras.  Not  a  single  instance  has  been  known  in 
which  the  life,  liberty  and  property  of  law  abiding  foreigners  have  not 
been  properly  respected  and  protected  by  this  government. 

In  pursuranue  of  its  announced  policy  for  fostering  the  agricultural 
interests  of  the  country,  and  following  the  example  of  other  adminis- 
trations here,  and  of  other  countries  as  well,  this  administration  has 
granted  some  concessions  for  that  purpose.  Of  all  that  have  been 
granted  none  have  been  of  greater  importance,  none  have  been  more 
carefully  calculated  to  secure  great  and  lasting  benefit  to  the  people  of 
all  classes  in  Honduras,  than  the  contract  made  last  week  with  Mr.  E.  W. 
Perry,  of  Chicago.  By  this  contract  he  is  required  to  cultivate  and 
otherwise  improve  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Musquitia.  This  whole 
region  has  never  produced  revenue  for  the  people  of  this  Republic.  It 
is,  in  fact,  almost  entirely  unpopulated,  except  by  a  few  scattered  fami- 
lies of  Indians.  The  rights  of  all  these  people  are  protected  in  the  con- 
tract intended  to  bring  about  the  development  of  this  region,  which  has 
been  for  centuries  an  untamed  wilderness,  but  may  by  the  exercise  of 
skill,  energy  and  unlimited  capital,  be  made  the  home  of  thousands  of 
prosperous  and  happy  Honduranians. 

The  full  development  of  this  enterprise  will  require  the  investment 
of  a  vast  amount  of  money,  the  employment  of  multitudes  of  laborers 
and  the  importation  of  many  improved  animals  machines,  and  methods. 
All  of  these  -will  become  permanently  a  part  of  Honduras.  All 
people  who  may  make  their  homes  on  those  lands  become  people  of 
Honduras;  every  estate,  every  factory,  mill  or  shop  established  there, 
become  part  of  Honduras ;  in  fact  the  whole  grand  undertaking  is  an 
Honduras  enterprise,  a  part  of  this  Republic  forever. 


VAI.fAlil.K   WOODS   AND   MKIUCINAL   PLA 


i-  a  Tory  incomplete  list  of  the  valuable  woods  and 
medicinal  plants  found  on  tin-  lands  of  Tin-  Am- 
Company. 

Mahogany,   rosewood,  lignum   viln-,  mullx -\  ;lwood, 

copaiva,   liquid   amber,   copal,  India-rubber,    pii 
cotton  tree,  live  oak,  cypress,   rourou,  tuno,   sum  a  m 
grove,  ironwood,  calabash,  algarroba,  breadfruit.  orai;_ 
lime,   myrtle,     laurel,    clmny— both  black   and   while.    11 
walnut,  locu.vt.    allspice,    tamarind,    cassia    li-tula.    di; 
mesia  silvestris,  indigo,  white  locust,  tobacco.  <:i]>sinui; 
grandillora,  S.  nigrum,  S.   esculentum,  S.  m.-mimoHii: 
ro-um.  and  scores  of  others  known  in  tin-  art*  or  in  n:. 

of  the  fine  woods  many  are  unknown  in  th 

1'niti-d  States,  when-  they  will  sell 

as  soon  as  a  judicious  effort  shall  have  been  made  to  show 

beauty  and  utility. 


